[ WATER SUPPLY METHODS ] 

 
1. Wells and Boreholes  
 
Both are methods of ​accessing water underground​.​ In LEDC’s, wells are 
usually ​dug by hand and can be a source of disease​, however, wells in 
HIC’s are​ ​lined with concrete and have a concrete lid to prevent pollution 
by sewage.  
 
A BOREHOLE is a ​deep, narrow hole made in the ground​ to extract water. In 
LIC’s, they require​ little equipment and a hand or diesel pump to bring 
water to the surface​. HIC’s use technologically advanced materials for this 
extraction.  
 
2. Desalination  
 
Removing​ salt and other minerals​ to create fresh, drinkable water. 
Desalination is used where ​fresh water supplies are short​ but ​SEAWATER​ is 
plentiful, to supply a community with fresh water for households, 
manufacturing or agriculture.  
 
3. Dams/ reservoirs 
 
A barrier constructed to ​hold back water and raise its level​, forming a 
reservoir used to generate electricity or as a water supply (collection 
methods). Can be released in case of droughts for drinking/ agriculture. 
 
METHODS OF WATER DELIVERY:  
- Bottles 
- Pipes 
- Natural transfer along rivers, which is cheaper , but higher risk of 
pollution and disease! 
 
 
 
 
EXAM Q’S YOU NEED TO KNOW!  
 
1. What is the importance of water treatment plants [ 3 marks]  
 
In LEDCs especially, areas where ​water treatment facilities are not 
available​, waterborne illnesses such as ​cholera, typhoid ​sicken or kill large 
numbers of people each year. There are treatment methods such as 
filtration and distillation that kill bacteria and parasites before people use 
the water, by the addition of chemicals (chlorine, lime).  
 
2. Give three problems faced by LEDCs in trying to provide safe, clean 
water [ 3 marks ] 
 
- The first problem is trying to provide water in LEDCs is the 
widespread poverty​. This makes it very difficult to construct roads, 
pipes and treatment plants necessary for people to easily access 
water.  
- The ​lack of infrastructure ​means it is very hard to find water to purify 
in the first place - trekking large distances and carrying little at a 
time :( 
- LEDCs are often a ​poor government regulation of water​ - hence the 
water resource management isn’t so effective.  
 
3. Why is appropriate technology often more suitable in providing a safe, 
reliable supply of water to people living in LEDCs than large schemes 
financed by overseas countries? [ 4 marks ]  
 
One factor an LEDC must consider is if it has ​the finance to maintain the 
treatment plants after they’ve been provided from overseas​. This would, 
ultimately reduce the point of have such a treatment plant. Appropriate 
technology is ​cheaper and more practical for people in their day to day 
lives, especially where - due to lack of proxemics, pipes cannot be 
extended to such long, isolated distances.  
It is also more ​convenient ​for the population to clean their own water then 
wait for the slow construction of treatment plants/ pipes which take time. 
Pipes can fail too - appropriate technology for back-up. 
 
 
4. Describe how appropriate technology helps local communities to 
provide water for their people? [ 3 marks ] 
 
Appropriate technology such as a simple​ water pump pushed into the 
ground bringing water upwards​ is able to provide for entire communities. 
Wells are lined with concrete​ to provide safe, potable water to people 
from the permanent underground supplies and ​teaching safe hygiene 
practices​ to ensure people are aware of what they must do to get clean 
water.  
 
[ WHAT IS WATER USED FOR? ]  
 
- DOMESTIC 
- INDUSTRY 
- AGRICULTURE 
 
* It depends on the country  
● MEDCs use most of the water for INDUSTRY & DOMESTIC USE 
● LEDCs use most of the water for AGRICULTURE 
 
 
  Domestic  Industry  Agriculture 

MEDC  18%  42%  40% 

LEDC  10%  10%  80% 

 
COMMON EXAM QUESTIONS 
 
Explain why water usage varies in different countries [ 4 marks ]  
 
- Water use for agriculture is highest for LICs. This is because, as a less 
developed country, the majority of the population works in farming 
and are able to sustain themselves by selling crops. Water is used for 
 irrigation and animals to later sell, with only 10% of all water being 
required for industry. The primary sector is very prevalent in LEDCs. 
Also, as the area is drier, irrigation is more necessary.  
On the other hand, MEDCs have very similar water uses for both 
agriculture and industry (40% - 42% respectively) as it is more 
developed and required water for the e.g. manufacturing business 
which settle in wealthier countries. Domestic use is quite similar for 
both HICs and LICs s demand will always be the same, but MEDCs 
will be able to afford using more water due to higher GDPs.  
 
Explain why water collection methods vary in different countries [ 4 
marks ]  
 
- LEDC’s will have less technologically advanced water 
collection methods than HICs. For example, wells and 
boreholes are easily found in people’s backyards as they are 
cost effective and require no maintenance costs. As LICs are 
less wealthy, they won’t be able to construct treatment plants 
either, which makes people rely on these collection sources ; 
otherwise they rely on external financing. On the other hand, 
HICs can afford to build dams and reservoirs because 
governments are very involved in regulation of water and 
management, they are also able to maintain them in the 
long-term. However, as demand is higher more efficient 
collection methods are developed to satisfy the needs of a 
high density area.  
 
WATER USE  HOW IT USES WATER 

Agriculture  ● Irrigation 
● Water for animals  

Industrial  ● Power plants use water for 

cooling or as a power source 
● Ore and oil refineries use 
water in chemical processes 
● Manufacturing plants use 
 water as a solvent 

  * Water is used in power generation 

(hydroelectric power comes from 
water driving a turbine connected 
to a generator)  

Domestic (50 l per day)  ● Drinking water 

● Bathing 
● Cooking 
● Sanitation 
● Gardening 

Leisure  - Swimming pools 

- Watering golf courses 
- Lakes for jet skiing 

Environmental Activities  - Artificial wetlands 

- Artificial lakes (intended to 
create wildlife habitats). 
 
 
[ CASE STUDY : ENERGY AND WATER ] 
 
Three gorges dam, China 
 
What is it?  
The ​THREE GORGES DAM​ is a ​Chinese dam completed in 2003​ located on 
the ​Yangtze river from the source: Himalayan mountains​. 
 
* 3rd longest river in the world which floods regularly.  
 
BENEFITS :) 
 
- Stops flooding of homes, farms, factories, along the Yangtze river 
- Provides an electric supply by HEP (hydroelectric power) using ​34 
GENERATORS WITHIN THE DAM - THE LARGEST CARRYING 
 CAPACITY IN A HYDROELECTRIC PLANT (saves China 11 million 
tonnes of coal each year) 
- Irrigation for farming (an extra 11 cubic km of fresh water is provided 
to downstream cities and farming during dry seasons [december - 
march] ) 
- Domestic uses (drinking especially) 
 
* Water is released when there are DROUGHTS, e.g. 60 years ago China 
experienced its worst drought in 50 years.  
 
DISADVANTAGES :( 
 
- Good farmland lost (as near the Yangtze river -> alluvium) 
- Over​ 1.3 million people were internally displaced​ after they were 
flooded -> impact on the economy, cost of rebuilding 
- Villages disappeared underwater (entire cities e.g.​ Fengdu now 
submerged)​   
- Cultural and agricultural sites lost  
- Project was very​ expensive $22.5 billion 
- Loss of jobs, specifically in agriculture 
- Sediment building up in the dam -> areas downstream risk to 
flooding 
 
HOW DOES THE DAM GUARANTEE ‘CLEAN’ WATER? 
 
The dam construction ​‘ignited’ and funded for several projects and 
schemes to improve upstream wastewater treatment around the large city 
of Chongqing and its suburban areas.  
 
* In April 2007, more than​ 50 new plants could treat 1.84 million tonnes of 
water per day, 65% in total need.  
 
 
NEW TOPIC: ​[ WATER SHORTAGES ] 
 
MAIN ​reasons for water shortages: 
 - Droughts 
- Too many people (rapid urbanisation) 
- Water contamination 
- Changes in agriculture (if demand increases, less water for domestic 
use) 
- Increased affluence 
- Industrialisation 
 
how do 4 of these reasons cause water shortages? 
 
water contamination​: more water becomes non-potable due​ to 
bacteria, ​therefore there is less clean water to power industries, 
agriculture and domestic (in rural areas). In urban areas, water might 
be more affected by ​sewage entering.​   
 
increased affluence​: as people become wealthier, they have ​more 
money to spend on water, therefore - as demand increases​, more 
water is used up in general. 
 
industrialisation​: as industry increases, more water is also needed t​ o 
power the manufacturing processes,​ therefore - takes away the 
amount of water available for ​domestic or agriculture​. 
 
increasing population​: the number of people increasing also 
increases ​the amount of water we must distribute​. This finishes our 
supply quicker. 
 
What is​ WATER SCARCITY​? 
 
- The unavailability of ​POTABLE WATER ​(safe drinking water) 
 
Reasons why you might not have ACCESS TO SAFE WATER? 
 
physical.  
● Demand is greater than supply 
● It doesn’t rain enough to meet the needs 
 
economic.  
● People cannot afford to use the water that is available 
● Water is not distributed - poor infrastructure of system of pipes and 
taps to bring water to homes. 
● Water can be can be very polluted 
* WATER SUPPLY IS CLOSELY ​LINKED TO DEVELOPMENT​*  
 
[ WHY MIGHT WE HAVE ​PHYSICAL​ WATER SHORTAGES? ] 
 
->​ PERIOD OF DROUGHT or SPECIFIC DRY SEASONS ​ which essentially means 
no rain! -> causes the ground to become hard (no infiltration) 
-> They may be ​WEATHER CYCLES WHERE AN AREA MAY GET SEVERAL DRY 
YEARS FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL WET YEARS​, when it rains after a 
drought-like season, little surface ​runoff (the ground is so hard) so little 
water is stored​.  
-> ​GLOBAL WARMING & CONTINUOUS RISE IN TEMPERATURES,​ places like 
Sahel are drier while the UK is wetter (overall, less rainfall) 
 
 
Impacts of water shortages: 
 
S​ - social 
P​ - political 
E​ - economic 
E​ - environmental  
D ​- demographic (population as a whole [ the numbers e.g. birth rate, 
natural increase ] ) 
 
Impacts.  
 
SOCIAL 
● Ill health -> low performance -> cycle of poor performance -> poor 
income (Sudan) 
● Migration 
 
POLITICAL 
● Migration 
● Need to invest in water (water pump, treatment plants etc.) 
 
ENVIRONMENTAL  
● Dry areas 
● Possible desertification  
● Dry, hard ground = cannot infiltrate  
 
ECONOMIC  
● Unable to earn money -> impact on a low developing economy 
● More investment in water pump and water supplies 
● Food shortages (no irrigation) 
 
DEMOGRAPHIC 
● Deaths 
● IMR (infant mortality rate is high as young children are the most 
vulnerable) 
● Migration