Campbell and Hunt reported during the International Groundwater Symposium, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, November 22-22 1973 on the engineering principles as applied in the United States by the National Demonstration Water Project and Commission on Rural Water to its field projects. Emphasis is placed on the economic analysis of the various engineering alternatives of surface and ground water utilization in rural areas. Effectiveness of centralized management and organization is stressed.
The preference of various American governmental agencies for central water systems is based on the concept of central management, which implicitly promotes reliable service over many years. However, central management need not be tied to central water systems in the physical sense. The multiple well or "cluster-well concept" is introduced and explored within an economic analysis of system alternatives for specific project areas. The role of local conditions as they affect the ultimate configuration of the system's design is defined in quantitative and qualitative terms.
They emphasized that no attempt has been made to discuss all the technical problems and developments that relate to water systems. It is clear, in any case that the major weaknesses in the American delivery system for rural areas are not solely technical in nature. Indeed, there are no technical problems which cannot be solved with the proper political, economic, and financial backing.
The major needs--commitments and funding--can only be served in the state and federal political arenas. System development, centralized management 1 economically-sound engineering, and strong operation and maintenance are all features which the National Demonstration Water Project and the Commission on Rural Water are attempting to implement in its field projects. As the present NDWP projects age, their performance will test the effectiveness of the NDWP approach.
[Also see "Rural Water Systems Planning & Engineering Guide," Campbell and Lehr, (1973b)]
[And "Water Well Technology," Campbell and Lehr (1973a)]
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