Data Sheet 1_Inefficiencies in water supply and perceptions of water use in peri-urban and rural water supply systems: case study in Cali and Restrepo, Colombia.pdf

IntroductionWater scarcity is a significant global challenge that frequently manifests as inadequate water supply for domestic purposes. However, domestic water insecurity can occur even in regions where water is naturally abundant. Despite Colombia’s plentiful surface water resources, rural and peri-urban communities often experience limited access to water. Existing water supply systems are frequently susceptible to poor maintenance, particularly in remote areas where much of the infrastructure remains outdated. Consequently, water is often lost through leaks or unintentional non-domestic use. Although a regulatory framework for water usage exists, it does not consistently translate into effective implementation.
MethodologyBased on an extensive survey of approximately 1000 households in four rural and four peri-urban communities in the Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia, we identified the factors underlying inefficient water supply and use. Perceived water use at the household level, based on self-reported time spent on various use types, such as bathing, and water supplied at the system level, was estimated.
Results and discussionHousehold size, education level, age and occupation were found to be critical factors influencing end water use and water supply. This not only elucidates why water is supplied and used inefficiently in rural systems (e.g., due to non-domestic use), but also accounts for the variability of perceived water use within peri-urban systems. The water use perceived by households in the rural systems was statistically similar across the rural systems studied and was significantly lower than that in the peri-urban systems. Most rural systems exhibited very low ratios of perceived water use to water supplied, indicating that either water is lost in conveyance or that water is used for non-domestic purposes. Peri-urban users, who perceived to use more water than users in rural areas, were associated with younger and more educated households. Higher education levels were also associated with better financial capacity and technical ability to manage water systems; therefore, peri-urban systems were better managed.

引言
水资源短缺是一项严峻的全球性挑战，其典型表现之一便是生活供水不足。但即便在天然水资源丰沛的地区，也可能出现生活用水不安全的情况。尽管哥伦比亚地表水资源总量充沛，但其农村与城郊社区仍常面临供水受限的问题。现有供水系统往往因维护不力出现故障，在偏远地区尤为突出——该区域多数基础设施已然老化。由此，水资源常因管道泄漏或无意识的非生活用水消耗而流失。虽已建立用水监管框架，但该框架并未始终得到有效落实。

研究方法
研究团队针对哥伦比亚考卡山谷省的4个农村社区与4个城郊社区开展了大规模入户调研，共覆盖约1000户家庭，借此明确了供水与用水低效的核心成因。研究基于受访者自述的各类用水场景耗时（如沐浴）估算家庭感知用水量，并结合系统层面的供水总量开展分析。

结果与讨论
研究发现，家庭规模、受教育程度、年龄与职业是影响终端用水与供水的关键因素。该结论不仅阐明了农村供水系统低效的成因（如非生活用水消耗），同时也解释了城郊社区用水感知差异的来源。经统计学分析，本次调研覆盖的农村社区家庭感知用水量整体无显著差异，且显著低于城郊社区。多数农村社区的感知用水量与供水总量比值极低，这表明要么水资源在输水过程中发生流失，要么水资源被用于非生活用途。城郊居民自述的用水量高于农村居民，这类家庭普遍更年轻化且受教育程度更高。受教育程度较高的家庭往往具备更强的经济实力与供水系统运维技术能力，因此城郊供水系统的管理效果更佳。