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The TREADS Initiative invites you to a TREADTalk on:
Is an intermittent water tap connection “functional”? The Jal Jeevan Mission’s Conundrum
Wednesday, 21st August 2024, 3:30 PM IST
Speaker:
Dr. David Meyer, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil & Global Engineering, University of Toronto
Moderator:
Dr. Srinivas Chokkakula, President and Chief Executive, CPR
This event will be held in a hybrid mode at the CPR Conference Room and online via Zoom.
About the event:
For decades, almost all water supply networks in India have functioned on an intermittent basis. Intermittent operations complicate the design, operation, regulation, and improvement of water systems. A key challenge is the lack of consensus among stakeholders on the root causes of intermittent supply and the measures required to mitigate it. This talk first explores Delhi’s intermittent supply, highlighting how some forms of intermittent supply are much more “functional” than others. Next, the talk introduces a simple way of thinking about the physics of intermittent supply, offering a mental model for how these systems function.
By applying this model, the talk reveals a crucial insight: piped water systems cannot achieve continuous operation unless they provide not just the water that users need, but the amount they want—which typically exceeds both needs and the design-manual-recommended LPCD (Liters Per Capita per Day) values. This understanding calls for a paradigm shift in how piped water systems are designed under initiatives like AMRUT 2.0 and the Jal Jeevan Mission. Relying on design manual demand values such as 55 LPCD virtually ensures that systems will continue to operate intermittently.
About the speaker:
Dr. David Meyer is an Assistant Professor in Civil and Global Engineering at the University of Toronto. His research aims to improve the wellbeing of those who rely on intermittently operated piped water supply systems. He invents new ways of measuring, modelling, regulating, benchmarking, and operating intermittent water networks. Dr. Meyer has over a decade of experience working with utilities in India, including in Delhi and Bengaluru. His work on intermittent supply has been published in top engineering journals and in newspapers. Dr. Meyer’s newest research focuses on the resilience of rural piped water systems – with direct relevance for the design and operation of schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
