Assessment of Rural Water Supply in Selected Communities in Osun State, Nigeria

Ojima Z Wada
2020 International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources  
The provision of sustainable water supply systems in rural communities in developing countries like Nigeria has been a challenge for several years, thereby promoting the dependency of rural dwellers on polluted surface water sources. This has also promoted water disparities between rural and urban areas, as well as developing and developed countries. In a bid to proffer solutions to this public health challenge, there is need to routinely assess the systems available in our rural communities.
more » ... is cross-sectional survey assessed the water facilities available in four(4) randomly selected villages across Ayeedade Local Government Area, Osun State. Grab water samples were collected from the main water source in each community and assessed for physico-chemical properties using standard methods. The Sanitary Inspector for the Local Government was also interviewed to obtain insights about the modalities of the water supply system present in the area. All the villages surveyed had at least two handpump boreholes present. All the boreholes were in functional condition. The water facilities in all the communities were constructed in 2011 via collaboration between the Government of Nigeria and UNICEF under the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme (WSSRP)-II. The facilities were routinely maintained by technicians from the Local Government. All the physico-chemical parameters such as nitrate, nitrite chromium, iron and manganese were within the WHO drinking water quality guidelines. However, the pH across the communities was slightly acidic, with an average of 6.06±0.08, while the lead levels exceeded the permissible limits for two(2) of the surveyed communities. The presence of functional water systems in all the villages was meritorious. Perhaps, more commendable because of the Local Government's commitment to routinely maintaining the facilities, this ensured the projects were sustainable. The pH levels and heavy metal concentrations of the water sources need to be monitored.
doi:10.19080/ijesnr.2020.26.556177 fatcat:3ktjx5yd2bar3ldgiwei5jodxi