International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Impact Factor (2012): 3.358 Volume 3 Issue 7, July 2014 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Assessing Causes and Challenges of Urban Water Supply: The Case of Mekelle City Desalegn Berhane Asgedom Lecturer, Department Head, Adigrat, Ethiopia, East Africa Abstract: Urban water supply is a common problem in Ethiopia as well as in Tigray region. For this reason, the objective of this study was to assess causes and challenges of water supply facing Mekelle city. A survey of 203 households and five official interviewees were sources of primary data. Systematic random sampling was used to select households while purposive for interviewees. The analysis was conducted using statistical package for social scientists software (SPSS). The result indicated that mean daily per capita water consumption during water supply interruption and time of piped water service available is 11.9 liters and 20.46 liters, respectively. Moreover, the production-demand gap and the unsatisfied demand of the city inhabitants were widening from year to year. The study has revealed that shortage of water at the sources, operators lack of technical skill, rapid population growth and quick urbanization are among the major causes that resulted in water supply shortage. The study also indicates that water distribution in the city is not equal; the timing of water service in most areas is at night and non-scheduled. Therefore, capacitating employees of the office through experience sharing from other cities and countries, skill and knowledge upgrading, and good map of water distribution system are compulsory Keywords: Households, Socio-economic, Groundwater, Causes and Challenges of urban water supply 1. Introduction Water is the lifeblood of the world and is considered as a national resource of utmost importance. According to Doe (2007:1) next to oxygen, water is the most important element for human survival. It is the most vital of all public services. Water scarcity affects the entire community, so anything that disturbs the provision and supply of water tends to disturb the very survival of humanity. Water supply is indispensable in both rural and urban areas. Therefore, the accessibility to adequate clean water, to produce food for both rural and urban population, is just one aspect of the role played by water in meeting basic needs and contributing to development (UNESCO, 2006). In Mekelle city, water is supplied to residents through public taps and pipelines, pumped in from reservoirs, and collected from any available sources. According to Giorgi et.al, (2009: 29-30) it is estimated that between 51-60 percent of families have access to tap; other families obtain water through any sources available. In the same reference it is revealed that because of inadequate sanitation and access to sources of potable water each year, residents of the city were suffering from different diseases such as diarrhea. According to Castro et.al, (2009) key water supply problems in Mekelle city include water loss and non-revenue water. In 2008, water losses in the distribution system amounted to 4,456 m3/day. In Mekelle city, water supply coverage often vibrates between 41% up to 51% (WSSO annual report of, 2008, 2009 and 2010). The main supply of water for Mekelle city is primarily from piping connection coming from groundwater at Aynalem well field. This source is augmented by other sources like untreated water from wells, by buying from water vendors and kiosks, and shallow boreholes. According to, Mr. Nega, head of Tigray Water Resource Bureau speech on the second quarter regional parliament forum (2010), the daily water demand by the city community is estimated to be 42,000 m3, which is 1,260,000 m3 per month. As per the annual report of Mekelle Water Supply Service office (2009/10), there are 17 boreholes of water supply sources for the city (for not less than 54,073 households, different government and non-government organizations, industry and service companies...) with a total average yield of 329,330 m3 per month, which is 3,951,954m3/year. This shows there is a significant gap in production gap of 900,670 m3 per month. Even though most water related investigations undertaken in the city show the existence of serious potable water shortages and frequent water service interruption, no investigation is carried out so far in the causes and challenges of water supply in the city. Therefore, there is a need to assess the challenges of water supply in the study area. 1.1 General Objective The overall objective of this study was to explore the causes and challenges of water supply facing Mekelle city so as to provide information that would help to grasp a clear understanding on the challenges 1.2 Specific Objectives 1) To determine the average water consumption of households per capita per day. 2) To examine the gap in trend of water production and demand of households as of 2008-2010/11. 3) To identify the major causes and challenges of the frequent water shortages in the city 2. Research Questions The purpose of this study was to assess the challenges of water supply in Mekelle city. Based on these objectives, the following major questions were answered in this research;  How many liters of water do households collect from different sources each day? Paper ID: 020141333 1922