USER REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPING A DATA VISUALIZATION MODEL TOWARD IMPROVING WATER DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT IN NAIROBI METROPOLITAN AREA, KENYA

Abstract

Effective water distribution management relies on accurate data collection to maximize efficiency in operations and decision-making. In Kenya, most water service providers primarily engage in passive data collection, aiming to fulfill regulatory requirements set by the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB). This means that they do not fully utilize the collected data for insight extraction and improvement in water distribution management. This study aimed to bridge the gap by identifying user requirements for developing data visualization models in water distribution management. This enabled the design of a conceptual model for water distribution management. Enhancing water distribution through effective data visualization aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 11, focusing on clean water access and building resilient and sustainable urban infrastructure. A survey research design was applied, collecting data from 44 purposively sampled personnel from 11 selected water service providers within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. The data was collected through the use of structured questionnaires. The data obtained was analyzed using Python with libraries such as Pandas for data cleaning as well as data manipulation, Matplotlib and Seaborn for data visualization. The results indicated that a majority of Water Service Providers are in a transitional phase, combining human oversight with the increasing adoption of automated monitoring solutions. Billing efficiency and billed volume are monitored most regularly, while non-revenue water and leak detection remain inadequately covered, creating operational blind spots. Respondents emphasized the need for a simple, role-based dashboard interface with configurable views, mobile access, as well as clear, intuitive visual indicators. Through these findings, the study proposes a set of visualization principles and functional requirements for developing a data visualization model for water distribution management. The study contributes to real-world implementations by providing a foundation for developing visualization models for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and resource utilization in water service companies.