Different Ways to Supply Water in Nigeria - Case Study Example

Different Ways To Supply Water In Nigeria 1.0 Introduction Nigeria is a developing nation considered to be the most populous in Africa. Apart from pollution and population issues, the country faces serious water-related problems regardless of the high volume of water available in the underground resources. Critically, issues touching with poor operation and maintenance, insufficient technical capacity, inept institutions and persistent implementation failure largely contribute to the water problems in Nigeria. The report below highlights the possible methods of water provision that can be used to resolve the recurring water problems in the nation. The report takes into account critical variables such as the cost of the methods proposed, technological advancements in Nigeria, and other environmental factors that influence supply of water. More importantly, the report compares two common methods of water supply; dug wells and deep tube well options, and their suitability for the water problems facing Nigeria. 2.0 Background Nigeria has problems with the accessibility to clean water. Even though close to 27 million new Nigerians have had access to clean and reliable drinking water since 1990, about 47 percent of this population hasaccess to safe water at the present(Tvedt, 2006, p. 377). The biggest parts of the country with water shortages are in the Northern Nigeria where about 30 percent of the people can access clean water(Maltby, 2013, p. 167). According to a report by the USAID, this situation leads to very high cases of waterborne diseases, causes low levels of school enrollment and threatens efforts for effective farming. Obviously, such shortcomings affect the daily lives of Nigerians in anundesirable way. A majority of water supply in Nigeria comes from the surface. Even though groundwater is important to some extent, Nigeria’s geological location makes it difficult to develop reliable aquifers. A greater percentage of the bedrock in the country is metamorphic or igneous in nature, forcing the porosity to be extremely low within a percentage of 1-3 percent(Rached, et al., 2004, p. 110). Since the pore spaces are very small and disconnected, permeability of the bedrock is also low. Nigeria has a very close network of streams and rivers, but it seems like most of the issues that touch on surface water emanate from inadequate management and planning. A huge population of Nigerian citizens uses water from where they can get it. Common sources include lakes, streams, wells, and ditches, but most of the water is untreated(Maziya-Dixon &et. al, 2004, p. 9). Nigerians are allowed to take water freely from any watercourse with public access for watering livestock or other domestic purposes. Only the urban areas of the country have access to indoor plumbing, and such areas are restricted to the rich and tourists. But, the plumbing that also exists suffers from cases of severe neglect. Possibly, this can result in various problems since about 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. A breakdown of water usage in Nigeria 3.0 Methods of water provision Possible methods of water provision that can be used in Nigeria include deep tube well and use of dug wells. Deep tube wells are installed deeply into the aquifers and manually operated to produce safe water for domestic purposes. Even though the sinking of deep tube wells is profitable, the actual process of replacing the shallow tube walls already existing involves a huge cost. Dug wells are not a new technology and have been used for a long time now. They are useful for underground water withdrawal, and the water is proven to be free from iron and other arsenic substances. Dug wells are useful too in the production of cheap but accessible domestic water. Even though dug wells are an old mechanism for boosting water supply, use of dug wells in the production of low arsenic water is not yet fully known in most parts of Nigeria. 4.0 Comparison of options 4.1 Deep tube well The deep aquifers found in Nigeria have been proven to be free from arsenic contamination. To some extent, the aquifers are stratified and relatively separated by impermeable strata in some sections. Two types of deep tube wells can be constructed; small diameter and large diameter tube wells. In most cases, the small diameter tube well is manually operated while the shallow and large diameter option is power operated. When deep tube wells are installed in deeper but protected aquifers, clean and safe water is produced. Some areas of the Northern part of Nigeria are very suitable for the construction of such deep tube wells. But, the identification of suitable areas for the construction of deep aquifers needs proper understanding of the mechanisms of recharge of the aquifers. The tube wells should be dug deep enough based on the water supply ratio and the water table in Nigeria. Ideally, specific storage capacity, permeability, and the specific yield of a water source increases with changes in the depth due to the increase in the size of the aquifer materials. From previous experience, installation and design of the tube wells in reddish sand produces the best quality of water concerning dissolved arsenic and iron content. 4.2 Use of dug wells Water acquired from dug wells is proven to be free from dissolved iron and arsenic substances. Dug wells are a good replacement for areas that do not support the use of tube wells. But, the method of producing clean water with low levels arsenic substances and other dissolved minerals is not fully known in many parts of Nigeria. A greater percentage of water from underground sources in Nigeria is contaminated. Thus, dug wells expose the water to open air resulting in oxidation and precipitation of iron and arsenic components dissolved in the water. Also, dug wells accumulate most of the groundwater from the top layer, which is the replaced each year using surface water and safe rain. The presence of water in a dug well and the aerated water can oxidize the soils significantly reducing the concentration of arsenic content in the water. The flow of water in dug wells is often actuated by the lowering of the water table due to regular withdrawal of the water. A major advantage of using dug wells is that no experience is required during installation and usage. 5.0 Recommendation All the technologies described in this report have their merits and demerits and are refined continually to make them suitable for rural conditions in the developing nations. Notable advantages of the two methods include improvement of the effectiveness of arsenic removal, reduction of the operation and capacity of systems, adoption of user-friendly technologies, overcoming the maintenance problems, and above all eradicating water problems in Nigeria. But, among the two methods, the use of dug wells is the better option to be considered for a strict budget. Water from dug wells may be withdrawn through the use of manually operated hand pumps, making it easily accessible. The water should then be chlorinated for purposes of disinfection before use to avoid contraction of waterborne diseases. Nigeria should consider using dug wells installed with sanitary protection capabilities to make clean water easily accessible to all parts of the country. Bibliography Maltby, E., 2013. Waterlogged Wealth: Why Waste the World's Wet Places?. 1st ed. New York: Routledge. Maziya-Dixon, B. & al, e., 2004. Nigeria food consumption and nutrition survey, 2001-2003 : summary. 1st ed. Ibadab, Nigeria: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. Rached, E., Rathgeber, E., Brooks, D. B. & (Canada), I. D. R. C., 2004. Water management in Africa and the Middle East : challenges and opportunities. 3rd ed. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre. Tvedt, T., 2006. A History of Water / 1 Water control and river biographies. 1st ed. London: Tauris. Read More