Outline of the Project

Project Name

Project for Hydro-microbiological Approach for Water Security in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Country

Nepal

Date of agreement:

March 3, 2014

Project site:

Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur

Period of the project:

May 1, 2014 – October 31, 2019

Target area:

Kathmandu valley

Implementing organizations:

University of Yamanashi as a leading body of Japanese side
Tribhuvan University as a leading body of Nepalese side

Background:

In Kathmandu valley, urban centralization with 2.5 million inhabitants (Government statistic 2011) and 4.8% of average population growth rate in the recent 10 years has overwhelmed the efforts to improve and manage infrastructures, e.g. roads, water and sewerage and electricity. Deterioration of living environment by insufficient infrastructures has become serious issue in the valley.

Nepal has rich water resources, however, nationwide coverage of water supply service by pipelines is only 18% (53% in urban, 10% in rural). In the valley, water demand gap has been serious problem that only 140 and 100 million liter per day (MLD) of water in rainy and dry seasons respectively have been supplied against its water demand of 195 MLD. Furthermore, decrepitude of the facilities by improper management and budget shortage has caused problems such as water leak and inappropriate pipelining. Average water supply hour in the valley remains at low of 0.4 hour per day with scheduled water cut-off.

Water quality is also inferred as unsatisfactory and the outbreaks of waterborne diseases are reported every year. More than 10,000 wells have been dug as water sources in the valley, however, there is concerns about people's health because of groundwater contamination by unsuitable sewerage and high concentration of ammonia in groundwater in some areas. Taking account of the fact of recent population growth, it is predicted that water demand gap and water quality in the valley will be deteriorated further in the future. Improvement of water supply both in quantity and quality is an urgent issue for Kathmandu valley.

Aiming at achieving 93% of basic water supply service and 85% of sanitary service, water and sanitary service is a prioritized issue in the 13th approach paper (2013/14 – 2015/16), which is the prime development strategy of the government of Nepal. Moreover, it set, in the national water plan 2005, a target of providing trustworthy water supply and sanitary service for the entire citizen by 2017. Thus, this project's objective is in line with the direction in development policy of the government of Nepal.

Objective

Overall Goal:

Tools and technologies for water security developed by the Project ("Kathmandu Model") are exercised. ("Kathmandu Model": A combination of a water treatment system with water security maps and guidelines for its introduction.)

Project purpose:

Management system on potable water resources - shallow and deep groundwater, and surface and rainwater - is enhanced.

Outputs:

1. Potable water resources situation, including water demand, consumption and supply in Kathmandu Valley, is studied and future forecast is conducted.
2. Situation and sources of groundwater pollution is studied.
3. Microbiological situation of environmental water, such as groundwater, surface water, and rainwater, in the Kathmandu Valley is studied.
4. Appropriate locally-fitted, compact and distributed (LCD) water treatment system for groundwater and surface water in Kathmandu Valley is developed.
5. Social and economic evaluation of the LCD water treatment system installation in Kathmandu Valley is studied.
6. A task force to enhance the social implementation is organised.

Activities:

1-1	To collect statistical data, such as population, industrial distribution and land use, and to predict the potential water demand.
1-2	To collect and organize the data of natural environment, such as hydro-meteorology, terrain and geology.
1-3	To estimate spatial and temporal distribution of water resources and the long-term variation trends based on the information of 1-1 and 1-2.
1-4	To elaborate a water security map of potable water resources situation in terms of water demand, water supply and consumption.
1-5	To investigate possibilities of developing alternative techniques to utilize water resources, including underground dam, rainwater recharge and rainwater harvesting.
2-1	To investigate the status of water quality (tap water, well water, tanker water, bottled water, ground water and river water).
2-2	To identify the sources, spatial and temporal variation of water pollutants.
2-3	To elaborate a water security map of water quality including 5 factors: ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen,iron, nitrate-nitrogen stable isotopes, and ammonium-nitrogen isotope.
2-4	To investigate the water quality factors which affect water treatment performance.
3-1	To investigate indicator microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, and waterborne pathogens in environmental water (tap water, tanker water, bottled water, groundwater, and river water).
3-2	To estimate the sources and dynamics of waterborne pathogens.
3-3	To elaborate a water security map of microorganisms (indicator bacteria, waterborne protozoa, bacteria, and viruses).
3-4	To investigate and understand the distribution of beneficial bacteria that contribute to water purification.
3-5	To elaborate a water security map of waterborne infections, based on a study of waterborne diseases and understanding of the relationship between water quality and usage.
4-1	To research and develop prototype dropping nitrification system coupled with multi denitrification bio-film systems (hydrogen oxidizing denitrification and ANAMMOX by autotrophic bacteria), and find the important factors for the performance and costs.
4-2	To research and develop prototype enhanced constructed wetland system, and find the important factors for the performance and cost.
4-3	To research and develop the prototype sponge tray water treatment system and sand filtration system, and identify the important factors for the performance and the cost.
4-4	To install demonstration LCD water treatment systems at five (5) sites or more in Kathmandu, and to investigate their performances and shortcomings.
4-5	To improve and optimize the demonstration LCD water treatment systems from the outcomes of the above operation.
5-1	To investigate a present situation of the conventional water treatment facilities in Kathmandu.
5-2	To quantify an improvement of water safety, resulted from an installation of the LCD water treatment system.
5-3	To identify social and economic issues on implementation and installation of the LCD water treatment system in Kathmandu.
5-4	To develop and formalize strategies on introduction and installation of the LCD water treatment systems based on the results of 5-3.
5-5	To assess quantitatively an improvement of water safety and its ripple effects, by introducing the LCD water treatment system in Kathmandu.
6-1	To invite one or more Nepalese researcher(s) from each working group and related govermental section(s) to organise the task force.
6-2	To elaborate an integrate water security map on water supply/demand balance, gap between water supply and consumption, pollution source-related information of nitrogen compounds and pathogens, waterborne infection risk, and water stress of local people.
6-3	To make up a proposal elaborating decision making process.
6-4	To organize the on-site collaboration and training programs in Japan to foster researchers and staffs for sustainability of the Project.

Input

Japanese side:

Long-term expert
Short-term experts/researchers
Training of counterpart personnel in Japan
Provision of equipment

Nepalese side:

Expense for counterpart personnel
Office space and necessary facilities