Introduction to Water Sources
This is the Water Sources Tools site.
Water Sources
In this section you’ll find hardware and software tools for different water sources based on source types (e.g. rainfall, surface water, ground water, waste water etc.) and well as collection systems (e.g. individual or centralised collection, open dug well, bore well, rainwater harvesting etc.). Selecting appropriate tools, it is important to analyse the interlinkages with other areas of the water and nutrient cycle by asking the question “What influences your water sources?” This may concern the form of wastewater treatment in the locality, a lack of wastewater treatment in an upstream community or the water consumption of local industries, agriculture or households; etc.
- Hardware
- Software
- Sections
- Surface Water Sources
- Availability and Allocation
- Creating and Enabling Environment
- Groundwater Sources
- Precipitation Harvesting
- Awareness Raising
- Economic Tools
- Other Water Sources
- Conservation of Soil Moisture
- Command and Control Tools
Surface Water Sources
Conjunctive Use
Conjunctive use of water relates to the combined use of ground and surface water. Due to the augmented water source, higher water reliability can be…
Rivers
River water is an important surface water resource for households, agriculture (e.g. irrigation, animal husbandry) and industry (e.g. processing…
Lakes
Lakes are surface water sources, with water levels changing depending on the seasons. Lakes usually play an important role in the supply of water for…
Man-made Reservoirs
Man-made reservoirs, sometimes called artificial lakes, are important water sources in many countries around the world. In contrast to natural…
Bank Filtration
Bank filtration is the infiltration of surface water, mostly from a river system into a groundwater system induced by water abstraction close to the…
Desalination
The chemical process of changing seawater into potable or fresh water is called desalination. Thermal distillation and membrane processes are the two…
Water Source Protection
The source of drinking water can be either surface water based (lakes, rivers and streams) or groundwater based (aquifers). Water is always found in…
Availability and Allocation
Water Resources Assessment
Water resources can be neither developed nor managed rationally without an assessment of the quantity and quality of water available. Water resources…
Water Balance Estimation
Water balance estimation is an important tool to assess the current status and trends in water resource availability in an area over a specific…
Material Flow Analysis (MFA)
Material Flow Analysis (MFA) is the quantification and assessment of matter (water, food, excreta, wastewater...) and substances (nitrogen,…
Water Allocation
Water of a desired quality is often scarce, and has to be allocated to different uses such as human consumption, sanitation, the production of food,…
Creating and Enabling Environment
Creating Policies and a Legal Framework (WS)
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 (WS)
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 (WS)
The clear allocation of functions for the implementation of sustainable sanitation and water management is crucial for its outcomes. Overlapping…
Strengthening Enforcement Bodies (WS)
Enforcement bodies have a very important role in establishing and ensuring the effective application of other software tools in sustainable…
Decentralisation (WS)
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 (WS)
The public sector might not be able to cope with the challenges regarding sanitation and water management and therefore cooperates with the private…
Privatisation (WS)
“Public sector utilities in developing countries have often not been efficient in providing access to reliable water and sanitation services. [...]…
Nationalisation (WS)
The nationalisation of sanitation and water management is one option for (local) governments to cope with the increasing problem of lacking…
Developing Human Resources (WS)
The development of human resources is at the core of sustainable development. People and communities that are empowered with the necessary knowledge…
Groundwater Sources
Conjunctive Use
Conjunctive use of water relates to the combined use of ground and surface water. Due to the augmented water source, higher water reliability can be…
Springs
When groundwater makes its way to the earth’s surface and emerges as small water holes or wet spots, this feature is referred to as a spring. The use…
Dug Wells
The traditional and still most common method of obtaining groundwater in rural areas of the developing world is by means of hand-dug wells (WATERAID…
Manual Pumping
Hand pumps are water-lifting devices that can be operated manually to withdraw water from surface water sources, groundwater sources and reservoirs,…
Mechanised Pumping
Mechanised pumps are water-lifting devices used to withdraw water from surface water sources, groundwater sources and reservoirs or to pump water…
Well Development & Rehabilitation
Well development of drilled wells is a part of normal well drilling procedure after the completion of the well and before the final disinfection. It…
Drilled Wells
Drilled wells can serve as a low-cost water supply for single households, for small rural communities and for more urban areas. The working principle…
Water Source Protection
The source of drinking water can be either surface water based (lakes, rivers and streams) or groundwater based (aquifers). Water is always found in…
Precipitation Harvesting
Rainwater Harvesting (Rural)
Rooftop rainwater harvesting (RTRWH) is the most common technique of rainwater harvesting (RWH) for domestic consumption. In rural areas, this is…
Rainwater Harvesting (Urban)
Rooftop rainwater harvesting (RTRWH) is the most common technique of rainwater harvesting (RWH) for domestic consumption. It can be done easily,…
Bunds
Bunds are among the most common techniques used in agriculture to collect surface run-off, increase water infiltration and prevent soil erosion.…
Field Trenches
Field trenches increase precipitation harvesting by breaking the slope of the ground and therefore reducing the velocity of water runoff. By…
Planting Pits
Planting pits are used as a precipitation harvesting method to prevent water runoff and thereby increase infiltration and reduce erosion. Basically,…
Micro Basins
Micro basins are a common technique used in agriculture to collect surface run-off, increase water infiltration and prevent soil erosion. Their…
Retention Basin
Retention basins are among the most frequently implemented storm water management systems. They are used to collect surface runoff and to improve the…
Sand Dams and Subsurface Dams
Sand dams and subsurface dams (both some times called more general groundwater dams) store water under the ground. A sand dam is a small dam build…
Check Dams & Gully Plugs
Gully plugs, also called check dams, are mainly built to prevent erosion and to settle sediments and pollutants. Furthermore, it is possible to keep…
Controlled Drainage
Controlled drainage is a precipitation harvesting method used to reduce short-term water related stress on plants, such as during flooding or drought…
Fog Drip
Fog harvesting provides a cheap complementary water source for arid and semiarid, rural regions. As the wind blows the fog through specially designed…
Surface Groundwater Recharge
Artificial recharge is the planned, man-made increase of groundwater levels. By improving its natural replenishment capacities and percolation from…
Subsurface Groundwater Recharge
Artificial recharge is the planned, man-made increase of groundwater levels. By improving its natural replenishment capacities and percolation from…
Awareness Raising
School Campaigns (WS)
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 (WS)
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 (WS)
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 (WS)
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 (WS)
The media (television, radio, print media, internet and email) play a significant part in spreading information on Sustainable Sanitation and Water…
Media Campaigns - Radio (WS)
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 (WS)
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 (WS)
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 (WS)
"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 (WS)
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the continuing commitment by businesses to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while…
Social Marketing (WS)
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…
Economic Tools
Subsidies (WS)
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…
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…
Other Water Sources
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…
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…
Conservation of Soil Moisture
Conservation Tillage
The adaption of tillage techniques helps improve soil conditions. Less tilling, lesser tillage depth, or no tillage at all has directly positive…
Soil Cover and Reforestation
Soil cover and reforestation is a mechanism to protect soil from water loss. Like the protection of an umbrella, soil cover and reforestation…
Soil Amendment
Soil amendment includes all inorganic and organic substances mixed into the soil for achieving a better soil constitution regarding plant…
Mulching
Mulch is a material placed on the soil surface to maintain moisture, reduce weed growth, mitigate soil erosion and improve soil conditions. Mulching…
Crop Selection
Different crops need different type of soils, different types and amounts of nutrients, and different types and amounts of water. The amount of water…
Command and Control Tools
Standards (WS)
Standards are requirements based on risk limits. They are often established by authorities to impose levels of pollution control by determining…
Restrictions (WS)
Restrictions and prohibitions are a part of command & control tools, i.e. which are regulatory instruments that are direct and mandatory.…
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