Water rationing comes into effect

The Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) disclosed  this week that it had started to supply water on alternate days as of March 3, 2016.

AAWSA says it was forced to take water rationing measures as the rains have not returned to appropriate levels and reservoir levels are not restored to normal in the city.

Etsegenet Tesfaye, head of Public Relations at AAWSA, told journalists at a press conference that the city’s main source of water, the Legedadi reservoir, has lost its one meter reserve, which according to the official, means that five million cubic meters of water, which  could have served for a month, have been lost.

“In order to use the remaining available water efficiently and reasonably, the authority is applying a rationing system when distributing water to the residents of the city,” Etsegenet said.

In that regard, supplies to the northern and the eastern areas of the city will be restricted to four days a week with immediate effect.

The normal operating level of the dam is 38 million cubic meters, but the water levels are much below normal due to inadequate rain. Similarly, Tadesse Zegeye, head of Water Production, Purification and Distribution, said that due to the shortage of water in the dam, areas of the city that previously had 24-hour access to water supply are now restricted to four days a week.

Ethiopia is experiencing dry weather El Niño–a global weather pattern that causes dry conditions.

The Legedadi Resevoir supplies one forth of the city’s water demand. The reservoir was built 45 years ago with a storage capacity of 45 million cubic meters. However, due to sedimentation in the reservoir the capacity is now reduced to 38 million cubic meters.

Potable water supply for Addis Ababa city was initiated during the reign of Emperor Menelik in the year 1895 particularly for the Palace, Patriarch and Parliament services by distributing the water through two pipes. The water supply was realized by constructing a mini-dam (with earth and gravel packs) along Kebena River in the foothills of Entoto Mountain.