Hydrogeological and economic analysis of a groundwater-based water supply system in rural Nepal

Abstract

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a given standard and considered as basic human rights in urban areas and industrialized countries. However, 40 % of the world's population living in rural areas in developing countries lack access to safe drinking water. Many ongoing projects are focused on providing safe drinking water and sanitation in rural areas, including Hamro Paani. Hamro Paani is a pilot project that aims to establish an efficient and sustainable water system in Madi, Nepal, by constructing a new pumping well.
The goal of this degree project is to carry out hydrogeological and economic analyses of the water supply system in Madi. The hydrogeological analysis aims to evaluate groundwater quality, aquifer characteristics, and well performance through water sample collection and conducting a hydraulic test. The economic analysis aims to present costs and incomes for the water system and generates an economic model for rural water supply systems based on Hamro Paani. It also examines whether similar projects can be implemented without 100%
charity-based funding by determining total project costs, monthly water tariffs, and forming different investment alternatives with varying interest rates.
The hydrogeological analysis indicates that the groundwater in Madi meets national and international standards. The major processes controlling the quality and chemistry of the groundwater are silicate weathering, carbonate dissolution, cation-exchange, and rock-water interaction. It is also evident that the aquifer of interest is unconfined with high permeability
and storativity, making it suitable for groundwater extraction. However, regular monitoring is necessary to prevent contamination and overexploitation.
The economic analysis reveals that the water supply system in Madi costs 7.8 million nepali rupees (NPR) ($1=132.53 NPR), with households paying 214 NPR/month for maintenance and operation. However, if funded by loans, the water tariff would become too high for Nepal at 1044-1438 NPR/month. Additionally, the low Return On Equity (ROE) makes the water supply project unattractive from an investment point of view. Yet, parameters such as poverty impact and health benefits that are not included in this analysis could add economic value. It's challenging to determine whether the project is financially viable or not. Nonetheless, the challenge of providing safe drinking water to people in developing countries is not only due to
a lack of funds or low ROE, but also a lack of political will and interest.

Popular Abstract

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a given standard and considered as basic human rights in urban areas and industrialized countries. However 40 % of the world's population living in rural areas in developing countries lack access to safe drinking water. Many ongoing projects are focused on providing safe drinking water and sanitation in rural areas, including Hamro
Paani. This pilot project aims to establish an efficient and sustainable water supply system in Madi, a rural area of Nepal, by constructing a new pumping well and extracting groundwater. Building a sustainable and efficient groundwater supply system is so much more than just drilling a borehole and extracting water. The water must look clean and be free from chemical,
physical and biological contaminants. Furthermore, the borehole should be located in a place with good potential for water extraction. Finally, the project must be cost-effective so that the system can generate enough income through user charges to cover maintenance and loan repayment costs.
The groundwater in Madi has good quality and purity and follows both national and international guidelines. Therefore the extracted water should be safe to drink. The borehole is connected to an unconfined aquifer, which is a geological unit in contact with the atmosphere and can store
and transmit water. It is important to determine the characteristics of the aquifer to avoid overexploitation and mining a finite resource. A pump test is a commonly used method to determine aquifer properties. It involves discharging water from the aquifer at a constant rate and
observing the resulting changes in water levels in the pumping well and surrounding wells. After conducting a pump test on site, it is most likely that the pumping well has strong potential for groundwater extraction. The aquifer consists of sand, gravel, pebbles and cobbles with high
permeability and porosity. When the pump is stopped the water level in the well restores almost to its static level rapidly. This means that the aquifer can provide a desirable amount of water (in this specific case) without depleting the groundwater. The total cost of the water supply system in Madi is 7,8 million Nepali Rupees (NPR). There are 400 households that will be connected to the system and each should pay 214 NPR per month.
This amount is considered affordable and people are most likely willing to pay given the added benefit of having individual taps. Notably, the Hamro Paani project is unique in that it is entirely funded by donations. If the project was funded by loans, the monthly payment would become too
high for Nepal at 1044-1438 NPR. Despite the high monthly payment, enough money can not be generated to make the project attractive from an investment point of view. One may conclude that such water supply projects are not financially viable and this is a true statement based on an economic analysis. But this is not the entire reality and it is important to have an international
point of view as well. In June 2021, the estimated cost for COVID-19 surpassed $80,000 billion, while providing safe water and sanitation to the world by 2030 is estimated to cost $1140 billion.
The challenge of providing safe drinking water to people in developing countries is not only due to a lack of funds or low return on investments, but rather a lack of political will and interest.

• author: Hedayatnasab, Hamon
• supervisor: Gerhard Barmen
• organization: Civil Engineering (M.Sc.Eng.); Engineering Geology
• alternative title: Hydrogeologisk och ekonomisk analys av ett grundvattenförsörjningssystem i rurala Nepal
• course: VTGM05 20231
• year: 2023
• type: H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• publication/series: ISRN
• other publication id: LUTVDG/TVTG-5178)/1-73/(2023)
• language: English
• additional info: Examiner: Jan-Erik Rosberg
• id: 9133783
• date added to LUP: 2023-08-10 15:33:18
• date last changed: 2023-08-10 15:33:18