Abstract
M.Tech.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the management of water demand and
supply in rural areas. The study had three primary objectives: (1) evaluate factors
influencing household water demand; (2) develop water use patterns; and (3) identify
improvements to water-supply services. Determinants of interest at household level
were education level of household head, age of household head, members/size of
household, occupation of household head, gender of household head, frequency of
flushing, frequency of bathing, frequency of doing laundry, and frequency of
gardening. The study was conducted in Thohoyandou Block F, Unit C, Unit D, and
Golgotha. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data in the study area. The
questionnaire consisted of the following sections: household general information,
water-supply information, water demand information, and water quality information. A
total of one hundred (100) households were interviewed. Statistic package for social
science (SPSS) software was used to perform the analyses. SPSS performed the
correlation matrix, principal component analysis and regression analysis to generate
a model. Correlation analysis results showed that tariff, number of people living
together, bathing, and flushing were primary factors influencing water demand in the
study area. Principal component analysis (PCA) results extracted four (4) components
out of thirteen (13). PCA supported results from the correlation matrix. The multiple
regression analysis results-generated model showed that three (3) variables in Block
F, four (4) variables in Golgotha and Unit C, and two (2) variables in Unit D were strong
predictors of water use. On the basis of the results it can be concluded that the most
consistent variable for predicting water demand was education level of the household
head. The conclusion can also be drawn from the results that bathing was the highest
consumer of household water. The study recommends that tariff structure must be
revised, water infrastructure, service delivery and water quality must be improved for
the residents in the study area.