Water Issues Essay Example

taking the lead. Scientists described water as a compound, a combination of Oxygen and Hydrogen atoms. An atom is a tiny bit of matter much too small to see. Water is made of one atom of oxygen (O2 ) and two atoms of hydrogen (2H2).

The three atoms make the tiniest possible drop of water called a water molecule. Water can be a liquid, a solid or a gas. Liquid water flows. Solid water is ice. Water in the form of gas is called water vapour which most often rises to the atmosphere after the sun had heated the surface water. Water is one of the free gifts of nature is found in every part of the world, liquid water found on the surface of the earth as oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers and swamps. Water droplets from rain clouds.

Liquid water makes beads of dew on the grass. It seeps down into the ground. It fills underground lakes and streams. Icefalls as hail or crystals of snow. Ice forms on ponds and frosty windows panes. Huge sheets of ice make glaciers and Icecaps at the North and South poles. Water vapour is always present in the air. Water vapour makes clouds in the sky. Water vapour makes fog that hangs close to the ground. It is the stream that comes out of a tea kettle. Provision of potable water to the entire citizens of the state is one of the basic responsibilities of every successive government (federal, state or local), and this had been a major cardinal programme in the manifestoes of all political parties seeking the mandate of the electorate since the Nigeria independence election of

1960. Governor Mimiko of Ondo State while flagging off his rural water scheme recently affirmed that “ the health of a state is deeply rooted in the health of individual member of that state, and that a community without effective, efficient and adequately accessible potable water is vulnerable to all manner of disease”

Urban centres, large towns and cities are generally characterized by a high concentration of human population and activities in complex interactions with the environment and its contents include the air, water and land over a finite space. The influx of people to urban centres is attributed to the heavy concentration of infrastructural facilities and social amenities in that area. These peculiarities induce changes in the water cycle in the pre-Urban landscapes and make them vulnerable to pollution, flooding and drainage hazards.

Surface water: The major sources of water in Auchi were; surface water got from rivers Omemlu, Orle, Ohio, Ukpeleghi, Ame’udo and Barekhi, these rivers got their intakes from annual rainfall which were erratic or scanty, incomparable with what is obtainable in other southern states of the federation. The medium of distribution is not hygienic and it is at variance with any acceptable standard. Water vendors usually besiege the river with water tankers to collect, transport and distribute the in- takes to all households with a fee charged per litre of various sizes of container fed.

More also, carts and wheelbarrow pushers came to the rivers with all manner of containers and jerry cans to collect and sell water at exorbitant rates to the consumers. However, in a household that could not afford the services of the water vendors, the women and children in the

household would have to trek to the rivers to fetch water for the family use, in most cases, the quantity gotten is relatively insufficient for the family. And the distance between the rivers and their respective houses/homes is by no means a short distance as many people trekked between two and five kilometres to fetch a bucket of between five and twenty litres.

Rain-water impounded: Each building owner had to cough out between one hundred and two hundred thousand nairas to construct a well-fortified impermeable underground concrete reservoir to conserve water for household use during raining season. The water so impounded could last a family for a period of three to four weeks, depending on the number of people and the living standard of the household. BOREHOLES: Of about seventeen, boreholes visited only a few sell water to the water vendors and the inhabitants.

Most of the boreholes were owned by corporate bodies mostly banks and they provide water for the staff and office use. We have Auchi polytechnic boreholes supplying water to the students and staff living within the polytechnic community, Oceanic bank boreholes, Bank PHB Borehole, Intercontinental Bank borehole gives free water to Iyekhei community in Auchi, Zenith Bank borehole, Abbas Braimah boreholes, Oseni Elamah borehole, Aliu boreholes, Sakiss boreholes, Mr.

Biggs boreholes, Basil boreholes, Kayoko boreholes, Popular Boreholes, Oyarebu boreholes, Texaco filling station borehole, Georgina borehole and NNPC borehole supplying water mainly to their staffs. The few ones that sell water sells water at an exorbitant rate.

Sachet water. E Pure water business: More also, pure water business thrive well within Auchi and its environs due to the fact that most of the supply gotten from

major water vendors were from doubtful source, and pure water is the major source of drinkable water. We have varieties of brand names in the pure water business.

These include Jojo pure water, Notre Dam pure water, Patmos Gold pure water, Esitsemhe pure water, Elavon pure water and Trinity pure water selling a pack between N50 and N70 to the wholesalers. Quality of water from the sources discussed the primary objective of water treatment and purification. Revealed is to collect water from the best available source and subject it to processing which will ensure water of good physical quality, free from unpleasant taste or odour and containing nothing which might be detrimental to health.

Supplies of water may be obtained by drawing directly from rivers, lakes, or springs. Depending largely upon the source from which they are derived, the various water so obtained may differ greatly in purity and suitability for the purpose for which they are required. Rain Water–When precipitation takes place, the rainwater, falling through the atmosphere absorbs various gases and vapour that are normally present in the atmosphere. Thus, rainwater absorbs oxygen, carbon dioxide, rare gases, sweep particulates salt nuclei (principally chlorides) radio-active fallout etc.

Surface runoff water –When the rainwater falling on the ground surface takes the form of surface runoff, it picks up particulates (silt and clay), organic matter nitrates, phosphates etc. The characteristics of the surface runoff water thus depend upon the topography and vegetation of the catchments, along with land use and management. River water – Since the surface runoff water normally joins the rivers and streams, the characteristics of river water are practically the same as those of surface runoff

water.

However, if the river receives municipal and industrial wastewaters, additional pollution parameters are added to it. Groundwater – When rainwater infiltrates into the ground to join the water table it becomes ‘ground water’, groundwater has the following characteristics. - It absorbs gases of decomposition and degradable organic matter (such as hydrogen sulphide, methane) within the pores of the soil mantle through which they percolate. - In earth strata which is rich in organic matter, oxygen is removed from percolating water and carbon dioxide is added. Groundwater has a lower PH value - Soil minerals are dissolved in groundwater. Carbonates, sulphates and chlorides are added, resulting in hardness. - Groundwater may contain iron and manganese insoluble forms.

Review of previous work

Water is not a luxury, but a necessity to the sustenance of the ecological succession in the built environment. Any community hits by acute water shortage is vulnerable to all manners of diseases and sickness. Auchi community is a fast-growing rural – Urban centre and the administrative headquarters of the Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

It is a distance of only one hundred and thirty kilometres from Benin City, the capital of the state. A ghost town of Auchi Polytechnic and many cottage companies and infant industries including banks solid minerals etc boosting her economic potentials Punmia, Jain and Jain (1995) posited that ‘Man and animals not only consume water, but they also consume vegetation for their food vegetation, in turn, cannot grow without water. The growth of vegetation also depends upon bacterial action, while bacteria need water in order to thrive.

The bacterial action can convert vegetable matter into productive soil. New plants, which grow

in this soil, grow by sucking nutrients through their roots in the form of a solution in water. Thus an ecological chain is maintained. Water supply is the process of self-provision or provision by third parties in the water industry, commonly a public utility, of water resources of various qualities to different users. Blower asserted that an “ adequate supply of pure water on tap is one of the prerequisites of modern living”, a fact sometimes not fully appreciated by the average person.

Local water authorities are required by law to provide a pure and wholesome supply of water, often referred to as potable water, a term implying that it is fit for drinking and culinary purposes. Morenikeji drew attention to the goals of the third National Development Plan in Nigeria as regards water supply which was, “to make potable water available to an increasing proportion of the population at reasonable rates and to meet the minimum target of 25 gallons (112 litres) per person per day in all major urban centres and to ensure that all communities of 20, 000 or more are supplied with piped water during the plan”.

From the data gathered by Okpala (1986), the statistics indicated a general shortage of water supply. He asserted that the country fell below that national target set in the third National Development plan supplying an average of 13. 3 litres per capital day and far more below the International Standard of 180 litres per capita per day”. Sotade (2008) posited that, “the Earth’s Surface consists of 70 per cent water, but only a few have access to potable or drinkable water. In Nigeria in particular, many

people do not even in Urban areas.

And, over the years the growing consciousness to have access to safe drinking water has brought about the emergence of burgeoning commercial water business in the country – a – big growing sector in the food and beverage industry. Oyebande (1993) highlighted the policy objectives of the Federal Government as regards Urban water supply during the 1975 – 1980 plan period as follow; To ensure that all communities of 20,00 or more people are provided with pipe-borne water by 1980; To provide 112 litres per head per day in all Urban centres by that date.

This craving for potable drinking water has, however, led to the proliferation of commercial drinking water supply, at first in sachets (pure water) and now in bottles with various brand names. With the burgeoning business, consumers are now left at the mercy of manufacturers as many don’t really know the source of the sachets or bottled water they are drinking. And, since water is key to health, one needs to be sure of its source.

Methodology Data for this study were gotten through oral interviews and the administration of well-structured questionnaires.

The questionnaires were administered in the eight quarters that constituted Auchi Community. The eight quarters are Igbe, Aibotse, Usogun, Egelesor, Iyekhei, Akpekpe, Afobemehe and Afadokhalu. The questionnaire was structured in five phases, the first phase discussed the source of water to the community, the second was on the quality of water from the sources enumerated in the first phase, the 3 third bothered on the medium of distribution, the 4th was on the quality of water use daily, while the 5th was on the source of

Drinking water for each housing units.

However, of the one hundred questionnaires administered, eighty duly filled and returned, the eighty were adopted for this study analysis

Data analysis and discussion

It is noted that the larger percentage of the respondent got the water for domestic use via Rive water about seventy representing 87. 50% while five representing 6. 25% each got their domestic water via rainwater and Borehole respectively.

Conclusion and recommendation

Conclusion

It would take a man who grew up in the desert to appreciate the importance of water. Our present world is surrounded by huge or massive water bodies, yet, mankind is experiencing acute water shortage. Water is critical for sustainable development, including environmental integrity, alleviation of poverty and hunger and its indispensable for humans and being.

- From the investigation carried out so far, it could be concluded that the Auchi community is not adequately provided with potable water. The dearth of shortage of water supply is alarming yet the population continue to soar by day.

- The quality of water a household could access is at variance to acceptable standard WHO 112 litres per person per day.

• The government had abdicated her duties to the citizens in the area of water, health and sanitation and the citizens are at the mercy of private water vendors.
• The quality of water supply by the water vendors are susceptible and could not be guaranteed, making the anticipated heath and sanitation agenda of the MDGs unrealizable.
• There is no adequate or sufficient information on the soil condition. So that alternative means of extracting water could not be undertaken.
• Adequate funding and management of water resources were not taken serious hence the
  

state water board now comatose.

Recommendation

In the light of the above conclusions, we made this under the listed recommendation

• There should be a collaborative effort among stakeholders in the water supply scheme prominent among which is the government, the community and the private sector.
• The state moribund water board should be resuscitated including laying pipes to replace rusted and worn out pipes. A public-private partnership initiative should be initiated to private portable water for the environs.
• There should be efficient management and proper funding of water projects by all stakeholders in and outside the community.
• Attention and monitoring of disbursed funds for water projects should be given urgent attention.
• NGO’s and other public and private sector participate should be attracted to the erratic water situation in the Auchi metropolis.

References

1. Bella – Omunagbe C. and Fadele S. O. (2009), “Introduction to Building Services, 2nd Edition, God is Good Publication Auchi.
2. Blower, G. J. (1989) “Plumbing: Mechanical Service 1 & 2, 2ND
3. Edition: Longman Scientific & Technical Publication UK. Chudley R. and Greeno R. (2004), “ Building Construction Handbook 5th Edition, Elssevier Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK Hall, F. (1985) “Plumbing Technology: Longman Group Ltd, Hong Kong Morenikeji, W. (2005), “ Research & Analytical Methods, 3rd Edition;
4. Published by Jos University Press Ltd, Jos. Mukerjee A. (n. d) Published Article “ Revolving Water Community Funds as a Means for Micro-financing Water Services
5. Oyebande, L. (1993) Published Article “Policy Horizon for Sustainable Urban Water Management in Nigeria.
6. Punmia B. C; Jain, A. K. and Jain . A. K; (2006) Water Supply Engineering 2nd Edition Laxmi Publications Ltd, New Delhi The Guardian – Page 31 – Friday 16th May, 2008 Virjee
   

K. etal  Published Article “Microfinance for Piped Water Supply – Emerging Experience from Kenya.