Abstract
This paper analyses water supply and demand situation in the city of Gweru. Gweru City Council records provided secondary data on Raw Water Treated (RWT), Treated Water Pumped to City (TWPC) and Consumption Estimate (CE). This data measured the variations in water supply quantity from the source up to the consumer. Annual population projection and World Health Organisation recommended water per capita per day guidelines were used to establish the amount of water demanded by the city. Interviews were conducted with the city of Gweru informants to ascertain the causes of differences in amounts of water at different stages of conveyance and the various strategies being employed to reduce water loss. There are apparent and real water losses in the distribution system. Vandalism of pipes, bursts and leaks are some of the causes of this water loss. Gweru City’s annual population growth is on the rise, yet the city maintains almost the same capacity of water supply. There is therefore an imbalance between supplied water and what the city is demanding as water supplies have been failing to meet the minimum Basic Water Requirement (BWR). Thus, the difference between water supply and demand over the period under review was significant. Consequently, the city should embark on public driven water conservation measures that optimise the available resources.
Key Words: Water infrastructure, Water demand forecasting, Basic water requirement, Urban areas
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