Natural Resources and Conservation 2(4): 59-69, 2014 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ nrc.2014.020402 Challenges of Potable Water Supply System in Rural Ethiopia: The Case of Gonji Kolela Woreda, West Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia Fitsum Dechasa Kibret * , Fikirte Demissie Tulu Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia *Corresponding Author: laryfdk@yahoo.com Copyright © 2014 Horizon Research Publishing All rights reserved Abstract In rural Ethiopia, although considerable efforts have been made to improve and expand access to potable water supply, many Ethiopian rural communities still suffer from lack of safe drinking water. This research work intends to assess the challenges of potable water supply in selected rural kebeles1 of Gonji Kolela woreda2 in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Survey findings of the research show that, of the total 292 sample respondents those who use hand dug well, developed spring and rope pump accounts 47.9%, 12% and 8.9% respectively. The remaining 31.2% of the respondents are still using either river or unprotected spring for their domestic consumption. Evidences from the data revealed that the challenges for adequate provision and management of improved water schemes in the study area are multifaceted including lack of adequate technical and financial support from zonal and regional water resource bureau; inadequate skilled man power; inaccessibility of underground water or intermission of the water after digging water wells; lack of adequate support from the community; inaccessibility for transportation and absence of spare parts shop and equipments in the nearby area. Thus, strengthening the institutional capacity in the planning of water supply projects at local level should be a timely measure to increase the adequacy of improved water supply and sustain the functionality of the existing improved water supply schemes of the area. Keywords Potable Water supply, Sustainability, Water Scheme, Community Participation 1. Introduction 1.1. Background to the Problem 1 The smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia 2 Administrative unit, in Ethiopia, higher than Kebele Water supply plays the most important role in both social and economic development. Improved public health, better living standards and economic development are intimately related to the availability and access to adequate potable water supply and sanitation. It has been widely argued that safe and adequate supplies of water together with proper sanitation are basic needs and essential components of primary health care [8, 15, 11]. Access to safe water for drinking and sanitation should be available to every human being, now and in the future [17]. Realizing the critical importance of supplying potable water, a number of diversified and multipurpose international, regional and national governments, local and international NGOs exerted their efforts and invest huge capital every year at global scale in general and in developing countries in particular, where water supply is relatively scarce, to ensure an improved provision of safe water supply service [14]. However, despite many years of development efforts, access to improved water supplies and sanitation services in the world continues to be extremely marginal. More than one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and over 2.5 billion people have inadequate sanitation [21]. The majority of the world’s populations without access to improved water supply or sanitation services live in developing regions mainly in Africa and Asia [14]. Moreover, the number of people who lack access to improved water supply could increase to 2.3 billion by 2025 [12]. Lack of sustainability of the water supply infrastructures being one, most of the development efforts that have been done so far in most areas are constrained by different factors [6, 1, 7]. The problem is worse in many parts of the developing nations, particularly in rural areas, where many people lack enough water to stay healthy. Inhabitants of rural areas representing 84% of the global population use unimproved sources of drinking water, such as surface water, unprotected spring water, unprotected well water, and water from tanker trucks [14]. Furthermore, people have to travel long distances to collect water and often the water that is