Multi criteria based sustainability evaluation of water supply service: case of Zegie town water supply system, Bahir Dar special zone, Ethiopia
Sustainability evaluations are shifting toward resilience, inclusivity, and innovation, driven by climate urgency and technological advances. By adopting these trends, stakeholders should ensure water systems meet present needs without compromising future generations. A comprehensive evaluation framework that can assess a wide range of water supply and demand management options is crucial to ascertain level of sustainability. This research addresses gaps in Zegie, Ethiopia water supply system by assessing critical factors that affect the safe water access exacerbated by population growth, agricultural runoff, and aging infrastructure. Employing a mixed-methods approach seasonal water quality analysis (36 samples), household surveys (150 respondents), key informant interviews and field observations, the study integrates a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) framework.
Results reveal systemic vulnerabilities: seasonal contamination (turbidity: 6.02 NTU; nitrates: 10.42 mg/L), corroded infrastructure, and non-functional chlorination, alongside financial instability from unaffordable tariffs challenges consistent with global water crises. Despite robust institutional governance (70.88% score), the scheme’s overall sustainability index of 44.89% reflects partial sustainability, underscoring a disconnect between governance frameworks and on-ground execution common in low-resource settings. Infrastructure upgrades, tariff reforms, and community-driven solutions are recommended to achieve global strategies for resilient water systems.
