1.

INTRODUCTION
Water is essential for life, and every citizen has the right to access clean drinking water. Ensuring
a safe and sufficient water supply is vital for sustainable development. In urban areas of
developing nations, providing enough potable water is critical for the population's health and
well-being. As economies progress and populations grow due to natural increases and rural-to-
urban migration, the demand for these resources in developing countries has been increasing
over time. However, the challenges surrounding water are primarily related to its distribution and
quality rather than its overall availability. Various regions face issues concerning either
groundwater or surface water resources. In particular, the efficient management and development
of water resources are pressing concerns in the Middle East and certain areas of Africa, including
the Sudan-Sahelian belt and the Horn of Africa. Thus, prioritizing the development and
management of water resources is critical in regions such as the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and
the Pacific. The rapid urbanization in Latin America, Asia, and Africa also presents water supply
challenges, especially for informal settlements and low-income urban populations. With over 1.5
billion people reliant on groundwater for drinking, safeguarding these supplies is an additional
concern. In Ethiopia, the current service level for water supply is characterized by low coverage,
quantity, quality, and reliability. A well-functioning urban water supply system should ensure
sufficient access to water for human and livestock needs, as well as for industrial and other
purposes, while considering both present and future urban realities. This thesis evaluates
strategies to provide safe, adequate, and sustainable water supply services for Melka Soda town
through the design and preparation of necessary infrastructure and recommendations for
enhancing water supply services.

1.1 Background
West Guji is a zone situated in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Found in the southern part of
Oromia, West Guji shares its borders with several regions: to the south, it is adjacent to Borena;
to the west, it borders the South Ethiopia Regional State; to the north, it is next to the Gedeo
Zone of South Ethiopia and the Sidama Region; and to the east, it is adjacent to the Guji Zone.
Additionally, it is bordered by the Somali Region to the east, the Amhara Region, Afar Region,
and Benishangul-Gumuz Region to the north, Dire Dawa to the northeast, and the South
Sudanese state of Upper Nile, along with the Gambela Region, South West Ethiopia Region,
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, and Sidama Region to the west. To the
south lies the Eastern Province of Kenya, while Addis Ababa exists as an enclave surrounded by
a Special Zone at its center, and the Harari Region is bordered by East Hararghe to the east.

1.2 Location and Accessibility

Melka Soda Town is positioned in the northeastern section of the West Guji zone. The
geographical coordinates for the center of Soda Town are 457049E and 606962N. Melka Soda
District is bordered by Bule Hora Woreda to the north and Kercha Woreda (in Guji zone) to the
northeast, Dugda Dawa Woreda to the west, Arero District to the south, and Saba Boru Woreda
(Guji zone) to the east. The town is located 531 kilometers away from Finfinne and 164
kilometers from Yabelo, which is the capital of Borena Zone. The roads leading to Melka Soda
are primarily of all-weather quality and are asphalt-paved, except for the last 64 kilometers from
Bule Hora to Melka Soda town. There are also all-weather roads that provide access to the site
for drilling, except for the last few meters leading to both the existing borehole (newly drilled
well).

Figure 1.1: Location Map of Melka Soda Town

1.3 Climate, Rainfall & Hydrology
The region under study exhibits three distinct climatic zones in accordance with the classification
of the country's climate. These zones include Dry Weynadega, Kola, and Dry Kola.

In this district, the prominent river is the Dawa, which flows along the border between Bule-
Hora and Saba Boru. The Dawa River has significant tributaries, namely Guracho Afelata and
Geleba Rivers, which also traverse the district. Additionally, there are other smaller tributaries
like Warka, Halo, Tula, and Ensha. The district experiences two distinct rainy periods: the first
spanning from March 15 to May 30, and the second from July 2 to October 1. The area's climatic
classification includes Wayina Dega (Bedda Dare) at 3%, Kola (Gammojjii) at 94%, and Dry
Kola at 3%. This distribution can be interpreted as follows:

Table 1.2: The climate condition, average altitude and estimated area in hectare

No Climate Average Estimated Area in

Altitude hectare

1 Dry Waynedegas (3%) 1500-2000 4000

2 Kola (94%) 800-1500 138650

3 Dry Kola (3%) <800meters 4850

Source: Woreda Agricultural and Pastoral Development Office 2002

The Dawa and Mormora Rivers flow through the study area in the east, along with several other
temporary streams in different directions. The rivers have several tributaries, and most of these
are temporary. In the district, the river that everyone knows is Dawa. "It moves from the northern
area to the southeastern area of the town."

1.4 Topography and Geomorphology

Like the Wadera and Hare Kelo plains, the district features a mix of dissected hills, plateaus,
mountains, valleys, and gorges. Overall, the landscape of the district has many ups and downs.
The landscape in the study area and the district has different heights. The southern part has
gentle slopes, while the northern part is more mountainous. The altitudes in the district range
from 1,000 to 2,000 meters above sea level. In the District of Busur, the highest mountain stands
at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. The center of Melka Soda Town is located at an
elevation of 1,350 meters.

The Melka Soda area is a lowland region in Oromia where pastoralists live. It experiences low
rainfall and hot temperatures. In this area, you can commonly find coniferous trees and broadleaf
trees. The region has a hilly landscape in the local area. "However, it is mostly cut through by
smaller faults that run from northeast to southwest, larger faults that run from northwest to
southeast, and the erosion gullies that form along these major faults." The Borena zone is located
in the eastern plateau, which is one of the three main geomorphologic features, along with the
Western plateau and the rift valley. The key geological events that have shaped the area and
created today's landforms include tectonic activities and erosion, both of which have been
happening since the Precambrian era. "However, during the Mesozoic era, this region was not
affected by transgression and regression."

As a result, the tertiary volcanic rocks that were on top of the Precambrian basement rocks have
been removed, revealing the metamorphic rocks underneath. Because of this, the area has rolling
shapes made up of the underlying rocks.

1.5 Statement of Problem

When it comes to coverage and water availability, the capacity of the water supply system,
which includes sources, transmission, storage facilities, and the distribution system, must meet
both current and future needs. In Melka Soda town, the water sources do not meet the needs of
the current and future population, and the distribution system does not reach all areas of the
town. The assessment of water supply coverage was not done earlier. In the town, some villages
do not have access to distribution pipes, while others do have them. Along with not having
enough water supply coverage, the Melka Soda water supply system faces big problems with
high water loss and poor water quality. When the water is lost, it is considered non-revenue
water, which means it also impacts the economy since the water utility is missing out on income.

1.6 Objectives of the Project

1.6.1 General Objective

To provide safe, adequate and sustainable water supply services for Melka Soda town by
preparing study and design of all the necessary structures needed to be included.
1.6.2. Specific Objectives
To achieve the general goal of the project the following specific objectives were established

 To design and implement structures to ensure safe drinking water for Melka Soda town
 To ensure the sustainability of the water supply system for Melka Soda town.
 To provide an adequate water supply for Melka Soda town.
2. DESIGN PERIODS AND POPULATION FORCASTING
2.1 Design Period
A water supply plan will almost always meet a need that keeps growing over the years.
Therefore, a new water supply plan is usually designed to be big enough to serve the needs of
expanding communities for a reasonable amount of years ahead. Large and expensive
construction projects such as dams, reservoirs, treatment facilities, and distribution pipelines are
necessary for a full water supply system. These projects cannot be easily or quickly replaced
when it comes to future growth. Therefore, these projects should be planned with enough
capacity to satisfy the town’s future needs for a set period of time. The time span or the number
of years that the water supply system is designed to last is called the design period. When
designing water supply systems for small towns, it is suitable to plan for a period of 20 years. For
the water supply project in Melka Soda Town, we are planning a design period of 20 years based
on the factors mentioned above. "This time is split into two phases." The first phase includes the
period leading up to 2024, while the second phase extends until 2044.

2.2 Population Forecasting

In the design of a water supply scheme, after deciding the design period the next step is to determine population in
various times. Several methods are present, but it should be point out that judgment must be exercised by the
engineer as to which method is most applicable. The methods of forecasting future population are discussed below
so that the most appropriate method can be used on the basis of the available past population data
Methods of forecasting population
a) Arithmetic increase method
b) Geometric increase method
c) Incremental increase method
d) Decreasing rate method
e) Simple graphical method
f) Ratio and correlation
g) Master plan method
h) The logistic curve method
i) Method used by Ethiopian Statistics Authority
 a. Arithmetic increase Method
This method is based on the assumption that the population is increasing at a constant rate. The
rate of change of population with time is constant i.e. dp/dt=k (a=constant) Integrating

Pn=Po +kn,

Where Pn=population at n decades or years

n= decades

k=Arithmetic increase

b. Geometric increase method

This method is based on the assumption that the percent increase in population from decade to
decade remains constant. In this method the average percentage of growth of last few decades is
determined; the population forecasting is done on the basis that percentage increase per decade
will be the same. The method is expressed as follow

Pn=Po ( 1+k )n where Po= initial population

Pn=population at nth decade or year

n= number of decades

k=percentage (geometric) increase

c. Incremental increase method

This method is an improvement over the above two methods. The average increase in the
population is determined by the arithmetic method and to this is added the average of the net
incremental increase once for each future decade.

d. Decrease Rate of Growth Method

It has been seen that all life grows within limited space. If the complete growth of a very old city
is plotted, it will be seen that the curve has s-shape, which indicates that early growth takes place
at an increasing rate, later growth is at a decreasing rate which indicates that saturation limit is
reached. In this method, the average decrease in the percentage increase is worked out and is
then subtracted from the latest percentage increase for each successive decade. This method is
applicable where the rate of growth of population showed a down ward trend.

e . simple graphical method

In this method the populations of last few decades are correctly plotted to a suitable scale on the
graph with respect to decade. The curve is smoothly extended to forecast the future population.
The graph on present city is plotters’ from the beginning and it will show the growth curve.

f. Ratio and Correlation method

In this method, the rate of population growth of a town is related to the rate of population
growth of state or nation. Hence it’s possible to estimate the population of a town under
consideration by considering the rate of population growth of state or nation

g. The Master Plan Method

The development of towns and cities is not allowed in haphazard way. For the development of
the towns and cities, their master plans are prepared. The city is divided in to various zones such
as commercial centers, industrial areas and residential areas, the schools, colleges, parks etc. The
future expansion of the cities is strictly regulated by various laws of corporations and other local
bodies according to the master plan. The master plans are prepared for the development of the
cities for 25-30 years. The population densities for various zones of the towns to be developed
are also fixed. It is for the particular zones. The future development of the various stages of the
water works is also designed on the basis of the master plan.

h. Logistic Curve Method

When the growth rate of population due to birth death and migration takes place under normal
situation and it is not subjected to extraordinary changes to unusual situations like war, epidemic,
earthquake, exodus of refugees etc. The population would probably follow the growth curve
characteristics of living things within limited space and economic opportunity. This curve has s-
shape and is known as logistic curve
I. Method by Using Ethiopian Statistical Authority

This method is used by the central statistics Authority of Ethiopia. It is expressed by in the form
of the following.

kn
Pn=Po e Where; Pn =population of

n =decade or year

n =decade

k=growth rate

Selection of Method
From all population forecasting methods the Ethiopian statical authority method has been found
more suitable for Melka soda town. Because Melka soda is a growing town with vast scope of
expansion. Hence population at the end of the design period (2044G.C) is 23,295.

forcasted by Ethiopian statistics authority method because it is lower error method.

Method used by Ethiopian Statistics Authority

Ethiopian statistics authority use the following formula for population forecast,

kn
Pn=Po e ;

Where the value of k =0.0388

Po=P2022 =10105

P2024=10105e 0.0388∗2 =10839