solution finder

29 June 2019

What are Your Sources of Water?

Author/Compiled by
Katharina Conradin (seecon international gmbh)
Michael Kropac (seecon international gmbh)
Dorothee Spuhler (seecon international gmbh)
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Water Sources in Your Area
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Here, collect information on water sources - and keep in mind different sections of society, that may use different water sources:

  • Where does your water come from (e.g. rainfall, surface water, ground water, waste water, etc.)?
  • How is it collected (e.g. open dug well, bore well, rainwater harvesting etc.; individual collection or centralised water supply etc.)?
  • Are there different sources of water for the different areas?

 

Where to get further information: If you do not know the answer to these questions yourself, ask the local stakeholders or the governmental entity or service provider responsible for water supply.

Interlinkages: Try to analyse the interlinkages between water sources and other areas of the water and nutrient cycle: What influences your water sources? This could be the form of wastewater treatment or the lack of wastewater treatment of the village upstream; the water consumption of local industries or agriculture or households; etc).

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The Case of Unsustainaville
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Water Sources in Unsustainaville

Unsustainaville's water sources. Source: SEECON (2010)
Unsustainaville's water sources. Source: SEECON (2010)

 

Unsustainaville has three main sources of water:

  • Riverwater, and deep groundwater are used to supply the central grid, which serves the industry, the high-income areas, and parts of agriculture
  • In the low-income areas, shallow wells are used to get water.

 

Problems with Water Sources in Unsustainaville

Unsustainaville's problems with water sources. Source: SEECON (2010)
Unsustainaville's problems with water sources. Source: SEECON (2010)

 

In the case of Unsustainaville, there are several problems with these water sources:

  • The groundwater table has been decreasing steadily over the last decade. Because of this, riverwater has to be used as an additional source of water.
  • Riverwater is heavily polluted and needs an expensive pre-treatment before it can be used as a source of drinking water
  • There is an ongoing conflict with the neighbouring town about water allocation
  • The water that people in low-income areas get from their small dug wells is heavily polluted by faecal bacteria and nitrates.

 

Where do I find further information to tackle problems with water sources?

 

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Previous and Next Step
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Go back to previous step -----> Outline of your Area

Go to next step -----> How is Water Purified?

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