URBAN WATER DISTRIBUTION Problems and Suggestions

Existing Condition and Problems Introduction No intelligent being can deny the need to properly save, conserve, better utilize, rationalize and manage the fast depleting water sources In an age of acute commercialization and escalating demand for water Karachi is one such city in the world which is unfortunate to have gained the status of a mega-polis yet a vision to address its mega problems is absent The following presentation entails a brief overview of the overall water situation in Karachi and a list of possible and workable solutions to surmount the mammoth challenge of not only supplying adequate water to city dwellers but also efficiently manage all the related aspects

Existing Water Sources of Karachi (almost all from Indus water) Karachi, with a growing population of 22 million, is fast becoming a water-starved city KWSB is responsible for water supply development, regulation and disposal of sewage

Existing Water Sources of Karachi (almost all from Indus water) Exiting quota for KWSB from Indus river is 550 to 580mg/d KWSB supplies water through: Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply (GKBWS); K-II; K-III and other schemes K-II was completed in 1998 with world bank assistance supplying 100 to 120 mg/d water to Karachi K-III was completed in 2006 with Government of Pakistan assistance providing an additional 100mg/d

Existing Water Sources of Karachi (almost all from Indus water) Water Supply from Indus River to Karachi Gharo 28 mg/d GKBWS (Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply System) 480 mg/d Steel Mills (Raw Water Supply) 26 mg/d Port Qasim (Raw Water Supply) 7 mg/d Army Pump House 40 mg/d Total 581 mg/d

Existing Water Sources of Karachi (almost all from Indus water) Other sources Hub dam – 75 mg/d Ground water – meager amounts Desalination of sea water – e.g Hubco, KANUP, DHA – not a feasible source Reuse of treated effluents – industrial use but KWSB financial and technical constraints

Total Water Supply by KWSB Present water supply to Karachi is merely 550mg/d against demand of 1,100mg/d i.e. a 50 percent demand supply gap Not all of KWSB 550mg/d could reach users due to power cuts e.g. in summer KWSB’s supply is cut by approximately 100mg/d

Total Water Supply by KWSB Total Water Supply to Karachi Bulk Water System Capacity Present Supply GK System 280 mg/d 300 mg/d Haleji System 20 mg/d 30 mg/d K-II System 100 mg/d 120 mg/d K-III System Dumlotee Wells 0 mg/d Hub System 80 mg/d Total 600 mg/d 550 mg/d

Distribution Networks Water Trunk Mains Distribution pipeline consists over 4850 kilometers About 70 percent of existing pipelines are made of asbestos cement – financial constraints on CDGK and Sindh government programs to replace outdated pipes Distribution and suction pumps KWSB installed 139 distribution pumping stations to counter differences in land elevation between reservoir and end user Domestic consumers’ small suction pumps suck water from distribution pipes forcibly and can deteriorate and damage the distribution lines

Distribution Networks Water losses in distribution network KWSB estimates that water loses in the distribution network varies from 30 to 35 percent - deterioration of existing pipes and illegal connections make matters worse Role of water tankers Initially introduced by KWSB to supply to suburbs and remote areas of Karachi Later extended to homes and workplaces of government in facing water shortage With a consistent water demand supply gap, illegal hydrants still emerge in the city By mid-2015 KWSB had demolished 200 illegal water hydrants Contrary to common perception water tankers supply only around 5% of the city’s water supply – KWSB estimates put it at 3%

Financial Management and Recovery Low water tariff and poor billing recovery resulting in increasing arrears Major Problems Symptoms Consequences Poor conditions of water distribution system Intermitted water supply High level of leakage Low system pressure Contamination Inequitable distribution Customers’ distrust in KWSB provides Reluctance of customers to pay for the services Insufficient revenues Lack of autonomy High level of receivables and bad debt Tanker supplies Illegal connections Low tariffs Financial mismanagement, and insufficient revenues Low morale of KWSB staff Weak financial capacity Delay in capital replacement Delay in system expansion Poor current maintenance Poor working environment (offices and equipment) Main reliance on govt. funding Deteriorating services Deteriorating assets Political interference Absence of measured supplies and volumetric charging system Absence of system input metering and retail supply metering No incentives for efficient use of water No boundary of responsibilities for maintenance of connections No means to estimate leakage and non-revenue water Negates the issue of illegal connections at retail level No control of water supply system Misuse and wastage of water Leakage, non-revenue water, and illegal connections (again) Source: JICA Report 2008

Water Tariff (excluding taxes) KWSB Water Tariff with effect from July 1, 2015 Type of Customer Water Tariff (excluding taxes) Residential Plot: 60 to 120 sq. yards Rs. 144/month Residential Plot: 121 to 200 sq. yards Rs. 222/month Residential Plot: 201 to 300 sq. yards Rs. 328/month Residential Plot: 301 to 400 sq. yards Rs. 459/month Residential Plot: 401 to 600 sq. yards Rs. 675/month Residential Plot: 601 to 1000 sq. yards Rs. 976/month Flat & Office up to 500 sq. feet Rs. 110/month Flat & Office from 501 to 800 sq. feet Rs. 166/month Small Shop Rs. 52/month Bulk Supply Residential Rs. 130 per 1000 gallons / month Bulk Supply Commercial Rs. 222 per 1000 gallons / month Bulk Supply Industrial

Case Study – Connection between Flood in Karachi and Malir River System Malir district comprises most of the rural areas of Karachi Malir river is a seasonal river originating from the Kohistan region and depends on rain and water flow from Indus river system Despite Karachi receiving low annual rainfall, heavy or torrential rains in Malir and Kohistan typically result in Karachi coming under flood like situations Malir river system has only two dams (Karmatani Lat and Thaddo Nadi) with limited storage/drainage capacity Despite multiple research and feasibility studies an expansion of the existing dam infrastructure or new dam construction has not materialized

Solutions and Suggestions Suggestion 1: K-IV project K-IV is a 3 phase project that would ensure 650 mg/d water supply to the city of Karachi The project starts from Keenjhar lake (Indus water), passes through Thatta and Northern Bypass and ends at Khairo Brohi Goth, spanning a 124 km After extension in 2025, K-IV will be able to supply 1,430 mg/d of water enough to meet next 50 year demand

K-IV Project Part of Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme Indus Water from Keenjhar Lake to Karachi City Phase Capacity Completion K-IV Phase-1 260 mg/d Year 2018 K-IV Phase-2 Year 2022 K-IV Phase-3 130 mg/d Year 2025 Total Cost Rs. 25.5 billions  

Suggestion - 2: DNI (Distribution Network Improvement) Distribution network improvements such as the below should reduce water losses by approximately 30 – 35% (1/3 of current water supply or 180 mg/d of water Restructuring of KWSB Replacement of old cement distribution pipelines Upgrading aging infrastructure and other complementary steps

Suggestion - 3: Water Costing and Billing System Client-centric approach: no organization can receive service charges without buyer’s trust, moral authority and administrative autonomy Filling the demand – supply gap, replacement of distribution lines and enhance service quality are key to winning customer’s trust Administrative and financial autonomy necessary to recover bad debts and reduce arrears

Suggestion - 4: Consistence Power Supply on Pumping Stations Frequent power breakdown and voltage fluctuation at KWSB installations is one of the major reasons for water shortage in the city It is imperative to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the Dhabeji, Gharo and, other medium size water pumping stations Two solutions: Installation of own power generators at pumping stations by KWSB K-Electric provides separate electricity lines to KWSB pumping stations to ensure that power breakdown and load shedding do not impact water supply

Suggestion - 5: RO (Reverse Osmosis) & Desalination Plant Reverse osmosis to purify contaminated, sea or saline water can be used for domestic or industrial purposes An average RO plant requires 6 kilowatt hours of power to desalinate 1 cubic meter of water (1,000 liters) Government of Sindh planned to set up 2,200 RO plants in Thar and other rural areas but, so far, 740 medium-sized plants have been established Desalination plants may or may not depend on RO technology and costs can be high: a large-scale desalination plant serving 300,000 people can cost $ 100 million DHA’s desalination plant is a good example but adopting the technology more widely would require government support given high costs

Suggestion - 6: Small Dams on Malir River System To protect the agricultural and residential lands in Malir, improving existing dams and construction of new ones is suggested The Malir Development Authority (MDA) and its consults propose starting work immediately on: Expansion of Karmani Lat Dam and Thaddo Nadi (steam) Construction of new dam in Deh Lusan Construction of new dam in Deh Bazar Construction of new dam on Jarando Nallah Stream Training work on Malir River System It is estimated that water development works mentioned above are expected to cost around Rs. 530 million

Suggestion -7: Public Awareness Public awareness of water importance is the demand of the day. The moot point of awareness campaigns can be presented directly or indirectly. Direct approach includes conventional public service messages on television, radio and newspaper. However it has been observed that people do not motivate through direct approach as they take it pedantic direction or plain plea Therefore indirect awareness approach can prove more effective. It means to wrap your message in real life scenario, ground reality, or teasing question. Indirect approach can be applied on any genre, be it a public service message, news report, documentary, entertainment show, drama, theatre, social media trend, or schools’ summer camp theme

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