Background: Human life depends on clean and healthy environment. However, low environmental standards lead to reduced life expectancy. Most peoples who live in the developing countries are under risk of getting clean water and any form of sanitation services. Because of this, millions of peoples are suffering from diseases associated with water. Nowadays, it needs emphasis on the accessibility of drinking water and factors which determine the supply of safe drinking water for urban households. 

 

Objectives: This study aimed to assess socio-demographic, economic and water source types that influences households drinking water supply in Debre Tabor Town, North-West Ethiopia.

 

Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design was conducted among households from February to March 2019. An interview-based pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data collection samples were selected randomly and proportional to each kebeles. Epi info version 7.2.1.0, and SPSS Version 24 were used to enter and analyze the data; respectively and descriptive statistics with frequency counts and simple percentages were performed.

 

Results: 418 households were participated. On average there were about 4.53 persons per each household. The most frequently used water source is pipe water (78.95%). Fetching water was the responsibility of females and children. Majority of the population of the town had no alternative sources, since traditional water sources were polluted by animal and human wastes. Due to high scarcity of water supply, traditional water sources were used by the residents. The time taken from home to traditional water sources was about 55.74% of the population had got their water for a trip of 15-30 minutes and 35.17% of the population 31-45 minutes, was much longer than the country average. 44.50% of the population got their water supply partially per week. 91.15% of the population was under the problem of water scarcity in the town. About 85.65% scarcity was happened due to weak administration of the concerned government bodies.

 

Conclusion: The water supply was inadequate, and the quality was low. The median consumption was found to be 30 liters per household per day and 6.62 l/p/d, lower than the national and WHO minimum water consumption level of 20 l/p/d. Nine out of ten persons was under the problem of water scarcity in the town. The concerned government bodies should provide adequate and quality potable water facilities for the town residents.