The magnitude of the world's need for water signaled by the UN Drinking Water and Sanitation Decade, the adverse health effects of irrigation projects, and the increasing awareness of the basic link between water and health provide the background for this study of the feasibility of designing irrigation schemes to provide a source of household water. While no firm conclusion is drawn, four key issues affecting the feasibility of dual-purpose irrigation systems are identified and discussed: engineering considerations; investment costs; administrative and organizational arrangements; and the convenience and health benefits of a steady water supply. Recommendations are, inter alia, to involve women as well as men in the operation and maintenance of dual-purpose systems; explore the possible role of water user associations in, and the access by landless to, such systems; and sensitize donors to the non-economic and non-quantifiable benefits of development.