Delivering safe water by tanker : WHO technical note for emergencies No. 12

Moving water by tankers should be avoided if possible. It is expensive and difficult to organize. It should be seen as a temporary measure to allow for the development of a more sustainable solution. Tankering,
however, is a common method for delivering water immediately after an emergency has happened while
more long term measures are being put in place; where the emergency is thought to be temporary and
the situation will return to normal soon; and where security and political problems make it difficult to
change to a more sustainable approach. In the last case, tankering may continue for long periods
– sometimes for years. Tankering is a major logistical operation. It requires a fleet of vehicles that require frequent maintenance and proper management. Tankers full of water are heavy vehicles and the operation may require regular attention to the access routes if they are to remain open. The key to a successful tankering operation is good management, and proper financing.

(authors abstract)