Introduction to Water Distribution
This factsheet is the Water Distribution Tools site.
Water Distribution
This section contains the hardware and software tools relating to the distribution of water resources to different users. The configuration strongly depends on the conditions (centralised distribution system, individual collection or a combination of the two) as well as on existing issues in water distribution (i.e., water loss, illegal water tapping, pollution etc.). Water distribution is heavily influenced by the method used for water collection (household level or centralised) and by the amount of available water resources. In turn, water distribution also determines the type of water treatment system, as it may imply certain risk for contamination.
- Hardware
- Software
- Sections
- Creating and Enabling Environment
- Water Network Distribution
- Awareness Raising
- Distribution Pipes and Channels
- Command and Control Tools
- Non-piped Distribution
- Economic Tools
Creating and Enabling Environment
Creating Policies and a Legal Framework (WD)
A core governmental role is to formulate policies, through which the government can delimit the activities of all sanitation and water management…
Building an Institutional Framework (WD)
The term “institutional framework” refers to a set of formal organisational structures, rules and informal norms for service provision. Such a…
Bundling and Unbundling of Functions (WD)
The clear allocation of functions for the implementation of sustainable sanitation and water management is crucial for its outcomes. Overlapping…
Strengthening Enforcement Bodies (WD)
Enforcement bodies have a very important role in establishing and ensuring the effective application of other software tools in sustainable…
Decentralisation (WD)
In order to increase sanitation and water management efficiency and improve equity and justice for local people, a participatory and community-based…
Public Private Partnerships (WD)
The public sector might not be able to cope with the challenges regarding sanitation and water management and therefore cooperates with the private…
Privatisation (WD)
“Public sector utilities in developing countries have often not been efficient in providing access to reliable water and sanitation services. [...]…
Nationalisation (WD)
The nationalisation of sanitation and water management is one option for (local) governments to cope with the increasing problem of lacking…
Developing Human Resources (WD)
The development of human resources is at the core of sustainable development. People and communities that are empowered with the necessary knowledge…
Integrity Management for Water Sector Organizations
Integrity Management (IM) is a change management approach to reduce unnecessary losses from corruption and bad practice in human resources,…
Water Network Distribution
Network Design and Dimensioning
The aim of a distribution network is to supply a community with the appropriate quantity and quality of water. There are four network types: dead end…
Pumping Stations
Pumping stations in a water distribution system are necessary where water is pumped directly into the system (e.g. from a lake) or where pressure has…
Leakage Control
Water leakage is an important component of water losses. Many methods for controlling leakage from urban water supply systems have emerged, but it…
Preventing Recontamination
Recontamination of clean or already treated water is a common problem in many countries. On the household level, there are several simple methods to…
Intermittent Water Distribution
Intermittent water supply is a piped water supply service delivering water to users for less than 24 hours in one day, and is used when the available…
Decentralised Supply
Centralised drinking water systems serve millions of households around the world. However, these systems do often not reach the poorest or the most…
Water Distribution Overview
A water distribution systems is one in which the drinking water is transported from the centralised treatment plant or well supplies to the service…
Hydropower (Small-scale)
Hydropower is a method of generating electricity that uses moving water (kinetic energy) to produce electricity. Small-scale hydropower has been used…
Awareness Raising
School Campaigns (WD)
A school campaign on water and sanitation consists of two main components: one component is the provision of safe water and sanitation facilities in…
SSWM in School Curriculums (WD)
This tool involves the integration of relevant sustainable water, hygiene and sanitation topics into school education in order to increase knowledge…
Empowering Young People as Promoters (WD)
Empowering young people as promoters in the field of water and sanitation is a way of assuring that a project or programme has a greater effect and…
Media Campaigns - Internet and Email (WD)
The media (television, radio, print media, internet and email) play a significant role in spreading information and raising awareness on water and…
Media Campaigns - Posters and Flyers (WD)
The media (television, radio, print media, internet and email) play a significant part in spreading information on Sustainable Sanitation and Water…
Media Campaigns - Radio (WD)
The media (television, radio, print media, internet and email) play a significant role in spreading information and raising awareness on water and…
Media Campaigns - Video (WD)
The media (video, radio, print media, internet and email) play a significant part in spreading information on SSWM and in awareness raising. They…
Creating Information Material (WD)
Creating appropriate and specific information materials for water and sanitation programmes is of key importance and a way to assure a strong and…
Advocacy - Influencing Leaders (WD)
"Advocacy is the action of delivering an argument to gain commitment from political and social leaders and to prepare a society for a particular…
Corporate Social Responsibility (WD)
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the continuing commitment by businesses to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while…
Social Marketing (WD)
Social marketing is the use of commercial marketing techniques to promote the adoption of behaviour that will improve the health or well-being of the…
Distribution Pipes and Channels
Water Distribution Pipes
A water pipe is any pipe or tube designed to transport treated drinking water to consumers. The varieties include large diameter main pipes, which…
Trenches
Before an underground water pipe can be installed, a trench must be excavated. Trench dimensions depend on pipe size, soil, and climate. Mostly, the…
Irrigation Channels
Coming soon...
Command and Control Tools
Standards (WD)
Standards are requirements based on risk limits. They are often established by authorities to impose levels of pollution control by determining…
Restrictions (WD)
Restrictions and prohibitions are a part of command & control tools, i.e. which are regulatory instruments that are direct and mandatory.…
Non-piped Distribution
Bottled Water
Sales and consumption of bottled water have skyrocketed in recent years. The global consumption of bottled water reached 230 billion litres in 2010…
Human-Powered Distribution
Where there is no or not sufficient piped supply of freshwater and drinking water, nor any motorised vehicles to distribute it, water distribution…
Motorised Distribution
Where there is no or an insufficient supply of piped freshwater and drinking water, water has to be transported either by trucks or by human power.…
Water Vendors
Water vendors are common in many parts of the world where water scarcity or lack of infrastructure limit access to drinking water, particularly in…
Economic Tools
Subsidies (WD)
A subsidy (also known as a subvention) is a form of financial assistance paid to an individual, a business or an economic sector in order to achieve…
Water Pricing - Fixed Water Charge
Water and wastewater tariffs determine the level of revenues that service providers receive from users in centralised or semi-centralised systems for…
Water Pricing - Increasing Block Tariffs
Water and wastewater tariffs determine the level of revenues that service providers receive from users in centralised or semi-centralised systems for…
Water Pricing - Uniform Volumetric Charge
Water and wastewater tariffs determine the level of revenues that service providers receive from users in centralised or semi-centralised systems for…
Tradable Water Rights
Tradable water rights are one of several market-based instruments used in water management and pollution control. In economic theory, they are…
Water Charges
Water charges are a widely used economic instrument implied mainly by federal governments to better control water use and water pollution by imposing…
Water Pricing - General
In July 2010, the UN general assembly proclaimed access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right. At the same time, water and…
Water Pricing - Decreasing Block Tariffs
Water and wastewater tariffs determine the level of revenues that service providers receive from users in centralised or semi-centralised systems for…
You want to stay up to date about water entrepreneurship?
Subscribe here to the new Sanitation and Water Entrepreneurship Pact (SWEP) newsletter!
Get regular updates on the latest innovations in SSWM, new perspectives and more!