Equitable Urban and Rural Water Supply in Developing Countries under Intermittent and Continuous Systems
Author(s):
Tanay Kulkarni
Ensuring equitable water supply in developing countries remains a persistent challenge, particularly where intermittent water supply (IWS) prevails. This review synthesizes findings from diverse studies on IWS and continuous water supply (CWS) systems in rural and urban contexts, focusing on India, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere. It outlines how rapidly growing populations, insufficient investment, and limited governance capacity often drive utilities to adopt IWS for rationing scarce resources. Frequent pressurization cycles in IWS exacerbate leakage, induce contamination risks, and disproportionately disadvantage poorer households, who often lack the storage facilities and resources available to wealthier ones. In contrast, CWS approaches—common in higher-income regions—maintain reliable pressure and safeguard water quality but demand substantial capital expenditures to manage leaks and upgrade aging infrastructure. Case examples underscore that successful transitions to CWS hinge on institutional reforms, robust financing, and strong political commitment. The discussion highlights partial measures to mitigate risks, such as on-site residual boosting, pressure management, and District Metered Areas. Ongoing efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6.1) necessitate clearer metrics for the continuity of water supply and improved monitoring frameworks. Overall, an integrated approach combining technical upgrades, effective governance, and community engagement is critical to guaranteeing equitable access to safe water.
