Over the past two decades, Ethiopia has achieved significant advancements in the areas of water and sanitation. However, a mere 49.6% of the population have access to basic water supply coverage, and only 8.9% have access to basic sanitation coverage, which causes spread of communicable diseases, according to the UN.

According to a new research released this week, Addis Ababa can no longer drill for groundwater because the wells in the city are drying up. The authors of the research also warned that if groundwater pumping continues unchecked and unregulated, the country’s water supply could dry up, the local media reported.

The researchers Fekadu Moreda and Tirusew Assefa spread the cautionary message at a UN climate resilient infrastructure conference, warning that the current freshwater demand in Addis Ababa is 1.2 million cubic meters per day, whereas the supply only meets 40% of this need, the report said.

The study reportedly cautioned that the city’s widespread water storage tanks and excessive groundwater pumping are impeding efforts to guarantee water quality and maintain adequate residual levels.

“The water tanks are a symptom of what is going on,” Fekadu Moreda said, as cited by the media.

The Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority has been implementing water rationing for the past six years because of the abovementioned issues. According to the data provided by the authority, just seven woredas (Ethiopian districts) have access to a consistent water supply every day of the week, according to media reports.

The research reportedly confirmed the statistics, and recent surveys indicated that the majority of the capital’s woredas gets water only twice a week, while other woredas experience periods of more than a week without water.