Alternatives resources to household drinking water: an inventory of the situation

Abstract

Urban water has various substitutes that can be used by households to satisfy their water needs : grey water, groundwater (via tube wells), rain water or raw water (from surface water distributed via channels and a specific network). This paper, based on a literature review and on a French national survey conducted by the author in 2002, details theses alternative resources, presents the type of uses that they are able to satisfy and describes the main factors which explain their development. It then exposes their advantages and drawbacks, in terms of finance, environment and public wealth, taking into account different points of view: the household, the urban water manager and the whole community.