Groundwater dependence among poor urban people: out of sight is out of mind?

Figures & data

Table 1. Sources of drinking water in the DHSs for Zambia 1992, 1996–1997, 2001–2002, 2007

DHS 1992; 1996–1997	DHS 2001–2002	DHS 2007
Piped into residence	Piped into dwelling	Piped into dwelling
	Piped into yard/plot	Piped into yard/plot
Public tap	Communal tap	Communal tap
	Piped to neighbour
Well in residence	Open well in yard/plot	Open well in yard/plot
Public shallow well	Open public well	Open public well/borehole
	Open well at neighbour
Public traditional well	Protected well in yard/plot	Protected well/borehole in yard/plot
	Protected public well	Protected public well
Spring	Spring	Spring

Table 2. Comparison of groundwater dependence in Bangalore and Lusaka

	Bangalore	Lusaka
City size	741 km^2	375 km^2
GDP (estimated)	USD 69 billion (2008)	N/A
Number of inhabitants (estimated)	7–9 M	ca. 1.7 M
Number of official slums/informal areas	473	35–40
Proportion of slum dwellers (estimated)	20–35%	65–70%
Proportion connected to water utility	<30%	<35%
Number of house connections	360,000 (2009)	N/A
Volume distributed by utility (all uses)	ca. 900,000 m^3/day	ca. 210,000 m^3/day
Demand (estimated by utility)	>1,300,000 m^3/day	ca. 400,000 m^3/day
Geological conditions, main rock	Granite	Limestone
Number of utility wells	ca. 10,000	ca. 72
Proportion of water from utility wells	N/A	>50%
Volume pumped from utility wells	N/A	130,000 m^3/day
Main type of private wells (depth)	Boreholes (60–300 m)	Dug wells (2–5 m)
Number of private boreholes on record	>110,000	>1900
Volume from private boreholes/day	N/A	80,000–350,000 m^3
Volume from other private wells	N/A (negligible)	N/A (substantial)
Poor people's direct dependence on groundwater	Via public standpipes; utility tankers; vendors; shared wells	Via own dug wells and community-based wells; vendors
Poor people's indirect dependence (conjunctive use)	–	Piped water supply (house connections); communal taps; kiosks