Impact of multiple uses of water on the sustainability of water services: experiences of 14 communities in Honduras

It is only recently that the practice of productive use of water supply systems has been recognized in Honduras, and it is only recently that technicians and professionals recognized that this practice can have a negative impact on the sustainability of services, if not properly regulated.

This study has been conducted to document the existing practices with multiple use of water supply systems and to find out the impact it has on the livelihoods of families, and on the sustainability of the services.

The case studies in this document show that nearly all families make use of water for productive purposes, although scope and importance of the practice are very different. Labourers, workers and subsistence farmers tend to use small amounts of water for small-scale use for their chickens and garden. Bigger farms, businesses, industry and landowners use lots of water for very large scale production, but many of them have individual systems to meet their needs and do not use the community water supply system for productive purposes. A group of small and medium farmers can use large amounts of water, but only ay certain times of the year. However, this group then tends to use the community water supply system.

One of the conclusions of the study is that productive use of water can have a negative impact on sustainability, especially in the case of occasional use of large amounts of water by small and medium farmers. The multiple use can generate problems and put pressure on water resources. Overuse of the available water within the system can lead to inequitable distribution and can generate conflicts within the community and with neighbouring communities.

At the same time, throughout the study, a set of easy implementable measures was identified to help regulate the multiple use, e.g. through differentiated tariffs setting.

The study concludes that the multiple use of water plays an important role in the financial situation of rural families. But, if not regulated, this can lead to problems of sustainability. It is important to recognize that the practices exist and should be taken into consideration in the management of water services. The study contains recommendations to support water boards in regulating the multiple use for both new and existing systems.

The study is in Spanish and can be downloaded below.

Experiencias de MUS en 14 comunidades de Honduras.pdf (869.6 kB)