CHONGWE DISTRICT COUNCIL

Transcription

1 CHONGWE DISTRICT COUNCIL REPORT ON BASE LINE DATA FOR WATER CONSUMPTION AND UTILIZATION PREPARED FOR D-WASHE JULY, 2006.

2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 INTRODUCTION Water is a commodity that each and every member of society cannot live without. It is essential for the health living of a human being. However, access to clean and safe water has been a concern especially in developing countries like Zambia. The water in the country is mainly utilized for hydropower generation, agriculture, industry, and domestic consumption and sanitation. Improved health cannot be achieved without adequate safe drinking water, sewerage and sanitation facilities. Unless the water resource is utilized in a sustainable manner, it will be difficult to ensure its continued availability in terms of both quantity and quality. Infact, one of the millennium development goals of ensuring environmental sustainability has a target of Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation services by The Local Government Water Code according to ICLEI Report, (2005) calls for: Access to clean and affordable drinking water is a fundamental right. As such, governments have an obligation to ensure water and sanitation services for all. Water must be governed as a common good. Water must be protected as the ecological foundation of life. Water must be managed as a finite economic resource Water must be preserved as a shared cultural asset Chongwe District Council as a local authority has the mandate to ensure that the local inhabitants have access to water. While most of the existing infrastructure for water supply system is inadequate as it was meant to service a small and largely rural 2

3 population of district Sub-Center and not a fully-fledged District, it has affected the delivery of Social Services. In addition the water supply system is old, over 40 years old, dilapidated and needs replacement. The water supply capacity is averaged at 1,800m 3 per day. According to the District situation analysis, Chongwe is potentially a new area in the Province and has potential for Industrial Investment due to its location, proximity to Lusaka and large natural resources such as land and its development process has been hampered by among others, insufficient public water system for both Industrial and domestic use. The Chongwe River that runs on the eastern side of town is the only current sources of water. The water abstracted from the River does not go through a thorough form of treatment despite the river water having possibilities of contaminations from industrial wastes that are discharged in one of its tributaries- the Ngwerere, from Lusaka. The report covers an assessment of water usage in Chongwe District in terms of category uses, quantities used as related to assumed consumption and the quality of water supplied. Location In accordance with the Provinces and District Boundaries (Division) Order of 1996, Chongwe District is located in Lusaka Province of Zambia and is one of the four Districts in the Province. The others are; Luangwa, Lusaka and Kafue Districts. Geographically, it is approximately located between the longitudes 28 and 42 East and 3

4 between the latitudes 15 and 20 South. It covers a total surface area of square kilometers. The main District Administrative Centre is located 45 kilometers east of the central business area of the City of Lusaka, the Capital City of Zambia. Its proximity to the Capital City gives it the advantage of easy access to several socio-economic services. Chongwe assumed a district status in Prior to that Chongwe mainly served as an administered sub-center of then Lusaka rural Council. While the rewards of being situated close to the Capital City are many, these benefits also come along with some costs to the District which includes spill-over of some of the vices found in the city, migrations and relatively higher cost of living compared to other rural Districts. Climate Climatic patterns are a result of three geographic controls. These are topography, latitude, and relationship between land and water. In the case of Chongwe, the dominant influence is latitude. The District is situated in the tropical Savannah with three identifiable seasons namely, the Rainy season, cold season and the hot-dry season. The rainy season commences in October and ends around April. The annual rainfall is estimated to be around 800mm influenced by the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (I.T.C.Z).The cold season sets about end of April up to August with temperatures ranging between 10 C and 18 C. The hot-dry season is from end August to October with temperatures of about 27 C to 33 C. 4

5 Vegetation The Dry Miombo Woodland is found in the upper plateau and covers the larger part of the District characterized by open and semi ever green vegetation with the principle species being Brachystegia, Julbenardia and Isoberlinia. The Mopane Woodland is common in the alkaline soils of the lower Luangwa, Luano and middle Kafue Valleys. The Savannah Woodland is found in the Manyika plains south of the district. It is characterized by small trees, occasionally shrubs, deciduous and semi-deciduous types. The dominant species are Acacia, Combretum and Terminalia species. Hydrology The major rivers in the District are Chongwe, Chalimbana, Lunsemfwa and Luangwa. The other small rivers that have water in the rainy season and dry up or retain patches of ponds in the dry season are Rufunsa, Mwapula, Munyeta, Changwenga and Musangashi. Generally, the discharge of these rivers and streams are characterized by the following; Reduced flow due to increased demand by the local communities and commercial farmers. Chalimbana River has in excess of 8 dams and 3 weirs in the upperparts of its 37Km stretch. Downstream there are many small scale farmers and human settlements utilizing the water resources. Therefore some of these rivers are no longer perennial; they dry up during the dry season. The use of water resources has been contentious since the early 1990s, especially between commercial farmers upstream and the local communities downstream. 5

6 Cultivation along the banks, deforestation and sand mining are common on most of these rivers and streams. This has caused siltation, reduced flow of water and general environmental degradation. The flow of Chalimbana and Chongwe rivers, for example, are threatened with human settlements. In the case Chalimbana Local Forest No. 37, forming the headway for river Chalimbana, was degazetted in 1983 to give way to developmental activities and only re-gazetted in 1996 after community lobbying. However by then substantial damage had already been done. Demographic and Social Factors The district s population in the 2000 census was which was 1.4% of the total national population and 10.1% of the population of the province. Annual growth of the population in the district is estimated to be 4.2%, far above both the country and provincial average of 2.9% and 3.8% respectively (CSO, 2001). This population is sparsely distributed across the District, with higher concentrations in the District centre and suitable farming areas. Table 1 below is an extract from the CSO report on Chongwe District. Table 1: Population Size, Annual Growth Rates by Census Years male female total male female total 1.POPULATION HOUSEHOLDS AV. GROWTH RATE % 4.2% 4.2% 4. DISTRIBUTION (%) % 49.70% 100% SOURCE: CSO, (2001). 6

7 Chongwe Township alone has a total population of 18,203. While the growth and fertility rates are high, the population, especially in the productive age group, is severely threatened with HIV / AIDS and combined effects of poverty and its off-shoots. As a rural District, the incidence of diseases is higher than that of urban Districts. According to the Living Conditions in Zambia Survey of 1998, 13% of the rural population report of an illness every fortnight compared to 10% for urban areas. Diseases weaken the productive capacity of rural population. Additionally, in recent years, hunger due to crop failure has exerted its toll on the productivity of the population. Language and Ethnicity Chongwe District is a predominantly Soli speaking area. However, due to migrations and spillovers, there are a number of other languages spoken. On the border with Chibombo, there are Lenje speaking groups, and in other areas Soli is spoken together with Tonga, Nyanja, and Goba. There is a close link with the Bantu Botatwe dialects of the Tonga, Lenje and Ila speaking people of Central and Southern Provinces. The origin of some of the Chiefdoms in the Southern and Central Provinces is linked to the same origin as the Soli s. 7

8 1.2 OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study include Assess the utilization of water supplied by Chongwe district council Exploit potential areas of water supply Find out information pertaining to management and conservation of general water resources in the district. 2.0 METHODOLOGY The data was collected in those areas with homogenous structural arrangement with defined settlement patterns. Questionnaire interviews were employed. Enumerators (10) were engaged to collect data in three main areas namely, Kanakantapa, township and Chalimbana. The Data was then analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Microsoft excel was extensively used the analysis. 8

9 2.1 WATER CONSUMPTION INVENTORY The general assessment is that water is used for washing, gardening, cooking, bathing and other uses in all the sampled areas of kanakantapa, Chalimbana, and Chongwe Township. The liters used in all cases indicate that most of it is used for bathing and washing. The following charts indicate some these characteristics in detail; WATER USAGE IN CHONGWE'S TOWNSHIP 20% Gardening 1% Others 11% Cooking 35% Bathing 33% Washing Figure 1a: Percentage distribution of water usage. From a sample of 32 households in Chongwe Township, the total water consumption is 6190 liters per day. This when extrapolated and related to Township population of 18,203 will entail a consumption of 17,600,878 Liters per month based on a household as defined by CSO, (2001). Category usage of water is mostly for Washing and Bathing represented by 33% and 35% respectively. 9

10 WATER USAGE IN CHONGWE'S TOWNSHIP QUANTITIES USED IN LITERS Cooking Washing Bathing Gardening Others Total 1 CATEGORY USAGE OF WATER Figure 1b: Quantity of water used according to categories per day. In Kanakantapa, though the area does not receive direct water supply by the Local authority, the scenario in terms of uses and consumption is similar to Chongwe Township. Figures 2a &b shows that the total consumption is 88,050 liters for only 16 households in a month. It can also be seen that 43% and 42% of this is used for Bathing and Washing respectively. 10

11 CATEGORY USE TYPES DOMESTIC WATER USE IN CHONGWE'S KANAKANTAPA Gardening Others 4% 2% 9% Cooking 43% Bathing 42% Washing Figure 2a: Percentage distribution by category of water usage per day in Kanakantapa DOMESTIC WATER USAGE IN KANAKANTAPA- CHONGWE Others Gardening Cooking Bathing Washing QUANTITY IN LITRES Total used per day Series Figure 2b: Quantities of water usage in terms of categories in Kanakantapa Chalimbana area has, apart from Bathing and Washing categories being prominent, also gardening having a substantial share in consumption cake. This can be attributed to farming activities especially that of vegetables. This is as shown in figure 3. 11

12 CATEGORIES OF USES DOMESTIC WATER USE IN CHALIMBANA AREA OF CHONGWE Total used Others Gardening Bathing Washing Cooking QUANTITY IN LITRES Figure 3: Quantity of water used in liters per day according to categories 2.2 WATER QUALITY The quality of water supplied by Chongwe District Council is not very good. Responses to community members interviewed indicate that the color of water is not appealing to the usual drinkable water. Also smell and taste of water is not very good. Hence most of them have resorted to ensuring that they drink only water from the Boreholes and that from the Taps is used for other categories of water usage. Records of water analysis for Bacterial presence done by Environmental technicians at Chongwe District Health Management Board indicate the following: In Kanakantapa, Bacteriological Analysis of Feacal coliforms and Eschariachia coli were absent meaning it is safe to drink it. In Chongwe, Bacteriological Analysis for Borehole water from Chongwe done in January, 2006 for F. coliforms and E. coli were positive indicating, not safe to 12

13 drink. Similarly, that done for the Borehole at Makola Garderns on 3 rd May, 2006 was free from bacteria. In Chalimbana, the analysis was as shown in the following table: Water source Aerobic plate count Feacal coliforms Escharichia coli Borehole Present Well water Present Borehole < Absent The combined analysis of the inventory usage and quality of water shows that the community prefers to use the water supplied by local authority for such uses as washing and bathing because of the fact that it is not very safe to drink. In addition, since the supplying system is paid for under a fixed charge arrangement, there is no care as to how much quantities of water that they use. Further a comparison of the water supplied to that consumed shows a marked difference. The total supply based on storage tank capacity is 54,000,000 Liters per month while the consumption based a population of 18,203 for the Township is 17,600,878 Liters per month. About 36,399,122 is an accounted for. This unaccounted for water can either be wasted through leakages in the system or during consumption or both. 13

14 3.0 CONCLUSION There is generally un-sustainable usage of water in Chongwe District because more than 60% of the water pumped and supplied by the local authority goes to waste. However, there is room of bring in measures that can improve on the way this water is used. There are signs of leakages in the supply system which should be addressed. Also, since the supply is un-metered, an element of regulation of consumption in the consumers is not there. Existing advantages that are there in the consumption pattern, in terms of category uses, show that technologies of water conservation through re-cycling of water can be adopted. A lot of water is used for bathing and washing. Additionally, potential areas for water supply by the local authority can be extended to Kanakantapa and Chalimbana areas. Consumption patterns in these areas show related patterns to that of the Township. 14

15 APPENDICES DOMESTIC WATER USE (TOWNSHIP) HOUSEHOLD SIZE TOTAL PER DAY(LTS) COOKING (LTS) WASHING (LTS) BATHING (LTS) GARDENING (LTS) OTHERS (LTS) TOTAL USED PER DAY

16 HOUSEHOLD SIZE TOTAL PER DAY(LTS) DOMESTIC WATER USE (KANAKANTAPA) COOKING(LTS) WASHING BATHING GARDENING(LTS) OTHERS TOTAL (LTS) (LTS)

17 HOUSEHOLD SIZE TOTAL PER DAY(LTS) DOMESTIC WATER USE (CHALIBANA) BATHING (LTS) COOKING(LTS) WASHING (LTS) GARDENING(LTS) OTHERS TOTAL USED PER DAY

18 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR WATER CONSERVATION IN CHONGWE The document is designed to provide information for a Programme to analyze water utilization in the district. The information thus obtained is strictly for use by Chongwe District Council only and will be accorded the maximum confidence it deserves. 1.0 IDENTIFICATION SECTION (DOMESTIC USE) 1.1 Are you the head of the household? (if yes, go to 1.3) Yes No 1.2 If no, state relationship with household. Spouse Child other dependent 1.3 Plot No. House No. 1.4 Are you the landlord or tenant? Landlord Tenant 1.5 Household size (No.) 1.6 Ages of members of household (indicate numbers) M F <

19 > What is the highest level of education has each member of the household attained? M F None Primary Secondary College/University Go to Part IDENTIFICATION SECTION (COMMERCIAL WATER UTILIZATION). 2.1 What is your Business Plot No.? 2.2 business premises used as :( Tick appropriate box (es)? Offices Restaurant Shops Tavern Church Basic School High School Bar others 19

20 3.0 WATER UTILIZATION 3.1 Where do you get water from? River Tap Well Borehole Rain 3.2 How much water do you use as a family per day? 10 Liters 20 Liters 50 Liters 100 Liters If more, state the amount in Liters?. 3.3 How much water do you use for the following, in liters? Cooking Washing Bathing Gardening Others 3.4 What type of toilet system do you use? Water borne Pit latrine others 3.5 Do you store any water? Yes No 3.6 If no, go to How?... 20

21 What problems do you face in water storage? What problems do you face in accessing water? What ways of water conservation do you know?

22 3.11 Which ones are you practicing? Do you re-use any water? Yes No 3.13 Which ones and for what? Thank you for your cooperation 22