The paper describes an assessment of a large spring-fed piped water supply scheme in Ethiopia. Constructed in the mid-1990s, the scheme has recently reported yield problems. These problems threaten the sustainability of the scheme and the success that it has achieved in supplying over 70,000 people. The assessment indicated possible reasons for this, both in terms of the natural resource and the management of the water system. The very limited data that were available with regard to the operation and functioning of the system made it difficult to draw clear conclusions and underlined the need for data collection processes to be designed into the operation and management of water supply projects.

Benvenuti, M., Carnicelli, S., Belluomini, G., Dainelli, N., Di Grazia, S., Ferrari, G.A., Iasio, C., Sagri, M., Ventra, D., Atnafu, B. and Kebede, S. (2002) ‘The Ziway-Shala lake basin: A revision of basin evolution with special reference to the late Quaternary’, Journal of African Earth Sciences 35.

Carter, R. and Rwamanja, R. (2006) Functional Sustainability in Community Water and Sanitation; A Case Study from South-West Uganda. Report to Tear Fund.

Geo-Engineering Service (2003) ‘Assessment of the Causes of Decline in the Yield of Springs Developed for Gonde-Iteya Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Education Project’, unpublished report to WaterAid.

Kebede, G. (1987) Hydrogeology of the Nazret Area, Ethiopian Institute of Geological Surveys, Note No. 268.

Kleemeier, E. (2000) ‘The impact of participation on sustainability: An analysis of the Malawi rural piped scheme program’, World Development 28: 929-44.

Solomon, S. (2003) ‘Remote Sensing and GIS: Applications for Assessing Groundwater Potential in Eritrea’, PhD dissertation, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

Yemane, T., WoldeGabriel, G., Tesfaye, S., Berhe, S.M., Durary, S., Ebinger, C. and Kelley, S. (1999) ‘Temporal and geochemical characteristics of Tertiary volcanic rocks and tectonic history in the Southern Main Ethiopian Rift and the adjacent volcanic fields’, Acta Vulcanologica 11 (1): 99-119.

Benvenuti, M., Carnicelli, S., Belluomini, G., Dainelli, N., Di Grazia, S., Ferrari, G.A., Iasio, C., Sagri, M., Ventra, D., Atnafu, B. and Kebede, S. (2002) ‘The Ziway-Shala lake basin: A revision of basin evolution with special reference to the late Quaternary’, Journal of African Earth Sciences 35.

Carter, R. and Rwamanja, R. (2006) Functional Sustainability in Community Water and Sanitation; A Case Study from South-West Uganda. Report to Tear Fund.

Geo-Engineering Service (2003) ‘Assessment of the Causes of Decline in the Yield of Springs Developed for Gonde-Iteya Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Education Project’, unpublished report to WaterAid.

Kebede, G. (1987) Hydrogeology of the Nazret Area, Ethiopian Institute of Geological Surveys, Note No. 268.

Kleemeier, E. (2000) ‘The impact of participation on sustainability: An analysis of the Malawi rural piped scheme program’, World Development 28: 929-44.

Solomon, S. (2003) ‘Remote Sensing and GIS: Applications for Assessing Groundwater Potential in Eritrea’, PhD dissertation, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

Yemane, T., WoldeGabriel, G., Tesfaye, S., Berhe, S.M., Durary, S., Ebinger, C. and Kelley, S. (1999) ‘Temporal and geochemical characteristics of Tertiary volcanic rocks and tectonic history in the Southern Main Ethiopian Rift and the adjacent volcanic fields’, Acta Vulcanologica 11 (1): 99-119.

Benvenuti, M., Carnicelli, S., Belluomini, G., Dainelli, N., Di Grazia, S., Ferrari, G.A., Iasio, C., Sagri, M., Ventra, D., Atnafu, B. and Kebede, S. (2002) ‘The Ziway-Shala lake basin: A revision of basin evolution with special reference to the late Quaternary’, Journal of African Earth Sciences 35.

Carter, R. and Rwamanja, R. (2006) Functional Sustainability in Community Water and Sanitation; A Case Study from South-West Uganda. Report to Tear Fund.

Geo-Engineering Service (2003) ‘Assessment of the Causes of Decline in the Yield of Springs Developed for Gonde-Iteya Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Education Project’, unpublished report to WaterAid.

Kebede, G. (1987) Hydrogeology of the Nazret Area, Ethiopian Institute of Geological Surveys, Note No. 268.

Kleemeier, E. (2000) ‘The impact of participation on sustainability: An analysis of the Malawi rural piped scheme program’, World Development 28: 929-44.

Solomon, S. (2003) ‘Remote Sensing and GIS: Applications for Assessing Groundwater Potential in Eritrea’, PhD dissertation, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

Yemane, T., WoldeGabriel, G., Tesfaye, S., Berhe, S.M., Durary, S., Ebinger, C. and Kelley, S. (1999) ‘Temporal and geochemical characteristics of Tertiary volcanic rocks and tectonic history in the Southern Main Ethiopian Rift and the adjacent volcanic fields’, Acta Vulcanologica 11 (1): 99-119.

Benvenuti, M., Carnicelli, S., Belluomini, G., Dainelli, N., Di Grazia, S., Ferrari, G.A., Iasio, C., Sagri, M., Ventra, D., Atnafu, B. and Kebede, S. (2002) ‘The Ziway-Shala lake basin: A revision of basin evolution with special reference to the late Quaternary’, Journal of African Earth Sciences 35.

Carter, R. and Rwamanja, R. (2006) Functional Sustainability in Community Water and Sanitation; A Case Study from South-West Uganda. Report to Tear Fund.

Geo-Engineering Service (2003) ‘Assessment of the Causes of Decline in the Yield of Springs Developed for Gonde-Iteya Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Education Project’, unpublished report to WaterAid.

Kebede, G. (1987) Hydrogeology of the Nazret Area, Ethiopian Institute of Geological Surveys, Note No. 268.

Kleemeier, E. (2000) ‘The impact of participation on sustainability: An analysis of the Malawi rural piped scheme program’, World Development 28: 929-44.

Solomon, S. (2003) ‘Remote Sensing and GIS: Applications for Assessing Groundwater Potential in Eritrea’, PhD dissertation, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

Yemane, T., WoldeGabriel, G., Tesfaye, S., Berhe, S.M., Durary, S., Ebinger, C. and Kelley, S. (1999) ‘Temporal and geochemical characteristics of Tertiary volcanic rocks and tectonic history in the Southern Main Ethiopian Rift and the adjacent volcanic fields’, Acta Vulcanologica 11 (1): 99-119.