Benchmarking of the Water Supply and Wastewater Management System of a Smart City: A Case Study of Cauayan City, Philippines

Abstract

Undeniably water supply is one of the basic services for demographic, social and economic development of a society. Thereby, the need to have access to reliable and excellent quality water supply regardless of uses is deemed necessary.
The study aim was to benchmark the performance in terms of water supply and wastewater management aspects of the Local Water Utility (LWU) system. The performance evaluation was based on the following domains –(a) sustainability of water supply; (b) water users satisfaction; (c) waste management practices; and (d) compliance of the local government unit in accordance to water security and management.
The assessment framework and indicators used were adapted from the established benchmarking manual by the International Water Association (IWA). The method used in collecting information and/or data for this study involves focused group discussions, key informant interview and conduct of field survey wherein a total of 388 respondents were selected employing stratified random sampling.
Results showed that in terms of water sustainability based on a 40-year projection, in 2040 and 2050, system groundwater withdrawals would exceeds the allowable or safe groundwater yield. Overall acceptability on water quality was slightly poor with a rating of 54% wherein 55%, 56%, 59% and 50% acceptability rating were attributed by taste, odor, color and pressure, respectively. Meanwhile, lack of waste water treatment facilities were observed which resulted to direct disposal of wastes to water bodies. For the last study domain, the local government passed four (4) city ordinances or enabling laws on water and wastewater management for sustainable water resources utilization.
In light of the results of this benchmarking study, more specifically on the issue of sustainability, it is highly suggested that providing or developing alternative water source is necessary as a sustainable approach to adequately and reliably supply water demand for the future generations.