Sources:
UNSD/UNEP 2001, 2004 and 2006 questionnaires on Environment statistics, Water section.
OECD/Eurostat 2004 questionnaire on Environment statistics, Water section.
OECD Environmental Data, Compendium 2006, Inland Waters section.
UN Population Division.
Footnotes:
- 2004 data.
- Includes Manufacturing industries, Electricity industry and Other economic activities.
- Data referring to “Distributed water” in Water account Australia 2004-2005; exclude in-stream and reused water.
- Data refer to public supply water used by domestic sector.
- Includes mining, manufacturing, electricity and gas.
- 2002 data.
- Water supply: Flanders and Wallonie only.
- Data refer to public supply water used by all industry activities.
- This is % provided with the piped water to top up the rainwater tanks. Water is trucked to the remaining households to top up the rainwater tanks.
- 2003 data.
- 1999 data.
- Includes industrial and commercial activities.
- 2005 data.
- 2001 data.
- Public supply refers to public and private waterworks.
- Data refer to the Commercial sector and Households.
- Data refer to Addis Ababa city only.
- Public supply: total includes leakages.
- 1997 data.
- Total supply: provisional data.
- Refers to manufacturing industry and electricity production.
- Data refer to projected water demands.
- Public water supply includes self-supply and other supply.
- Average between 1990 and 1995.
- The figures given here are only pertaining to the water supplied by Male' Water and Sewage Co.Pvt.Ltd.
- 2000 data.
- Supply: abstracted volumes of water granted in concessions.
- Public water supply includes self-supply.
- Population connected to public water supply: access to safe water for population living in individual housing (of which 65.3% are supplied inside the house).
- Includes "Water losses during transport".
- Refers to consumption in urban areas, managed by ONEP.
- Domestic sector includes agricultural sector (57 million m3 in 1999).
- Public supply: total includes leakages
- Data include quantity of pumped water from wells and springs discharge.
- The information corresponds to the province of Lima and Constitutional province of the Callao.
- Data refer to non-domestic consumption, including water delivered to agriculture, manufacturing, electricity industry and other economic activities.
- Data include Public supply to businesses, institutions, etc.
- Total public supply includes distribution losses and nonpotable water delivered.
Definitions & Technical notes:
Water supply industry: It corresponds to ISIC division 41 (the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, ISIC Rev. 3.1) -- collection, purification and distribution of water. Water supply industry provides water supply through a permanent infrastructure (network) of lines mains and pipes. It also includes:
- purification of water for water supply purposes
- desalting of sea water to produce water as the principal product of interest
And excludes:
- irrigation system operation for agricultural purposes
- (long-distance) transport of water via pipelines
- treatment of wastewater in order to prevent pollution
(Remark: In earlier versions of the questionnaire, the term Public Water Supply was used instead of Water Supply Industry)
Net freshwater delivered by water supply industry refers to gross freshwater delivered by public water supply industry minus freshwater losses during transport.
Net freshwater delivered by water supply industry per capita is calculated by dividing the net freshwater delivered by water supply industry by the total population of the country.
Net freshwater delivered by water supply industry per capita connected is calculated by dividing the net freshwater delivered by water supply industry by the number of people connected to the water supply industry.
Percent of population supplied by water supply industry is the percentage of the resident population connected to the water supply.
Data Quality:
Data on net freshwater delivered by water supply industry is usually collected from municipalities. Data on percent of population supplied by water supply industry can be obtained through municipalities or through household surveys. Household surveys usually give more accurate results, since they do not rely on sometimes incomplete information about or held by municipalities.
Data on amounts of water supplied can significantly vary between countries depending on the extent to which water supply industry delivers water to industries, businesses, agriculture and power station in addition to households. Care must be taken when comparing data between countries.
Policy Relevance:
Access to a regular, clean and safe supply of water is essential to maintaining human health, and a key component of sustainable development. Connection to a water supply industry not only reduces the risk of water borne diseases, it provides water for drinking, cooking, hygiene and washing, and is associated with improved health, in general. It also relieves women and children of the burden of having to fetch water, giving them time for more productive activities, or for schooling.
Net freshwater delivered by water supply industry represents the demand for water from that part of the population that is connected to the supply system, including any connected industries. The indicator 'Net freshwater delivered by water supply industry per capita connected' shows the per capita demand for water, when water is readily available.
In regions without access to water supply industry, use of water tends to be much less. However, the difference between the indicator 'Net freshwater delivered by water supply industry per capita connected' and the indicator 'Net freshwater delivered by water supply industry per capita' can be seen as a rough indicator of the unmet demand for good quality water and therefore of how much water would need to be provided, if almost the whole country were provided with access to the water supply industry.
The extent to which industries are connected to the water supply industry will depend on the cost, the required standard of water and the availability of alternatives. Food processing industries will require high quality water, and therefore may prefer to be connected to the water supply industry, where the quality is assured. Industries relying on water for cooling are less concerned by the quality of the water, but require large quantities. They may prefer to site their factories close to rivers and lakes so as to extract the water they need, and later return it to the same water body, a few degrees warmer. |
