DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY SOURCES AND DISTRIBUTION … · WEST LOCAL COUNCIL, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA Felix A. Oginni and Olusola O. Fadipe Department of Civil Engineering, Osun State University,

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International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET) Volume 7, Issue 3, May–June 2016, pp. 407–418, Article ID: IJCIET_07_03_042 Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/IJCIET/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=7&IType=3 Journal Impact Factor (2016): 9.7820 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com ISSN Print: 0976-6308 and ISSN Online: 0976-6316

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DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY SOURCES

AND DISTRIBUTION ISSUES IN ILESHA

WEST LOCAL COUNCIL, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Felix A. Oginni and Olusola O. Fadipe

Department of Civil Engineering, Osun State University, PMB 4494, Oshogbo,

Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

The problem of adequate water supply is a recurring decimal in the calculation of water supply issues facing Ilesha town for more than 40 years. This study attempts to bring to the fore the issues that are accountable,

focusing on Ilesha West Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. Sources of water that can be tapped for domestic use considered adequacy of

rivers and streams, hand dug wells, boreholes, water though vendors and sachet or pure waters. Previous and present efforts of concerned State governments are presented. The various issues are harvested. Issues bothering

on water supply and distribution are considered for each of the sources of water. Field study, oral interview, collection of data from appropriate

quarters was used to obtain information on the problems of management practices used in provision of potable water to the community by private and public agencies. The existing water supply system including distribution was

assessed in terms of availability, operation and management. Results indicated that a State Government’s efforts actually commissioned a Water

Scheme capable of solving any water supply and distribution problem in the larger Ijesha land six times Ilesha West LGA) in 1983, when the project was commissioned. The issue can be due to politics. Results of recent efforts at

solving the water supply within the Ilesha West LGA shows that there is no pipe borne water now and the most commonly used, of all the water sources is

the groundwater for domestic purposes. Issues with surface water include the sanitation problem associated with the streams and rivers being the final abode for most of the solid wastes generated from the community. Supply and

distribution of spring water will be complex to develop. Use of hand dug wells is affordable by most of the houses but there is lining of the wells to contend

with because of sanitation issues. Government’s intervention only covered 25% of the area representing 82% of Government’s ownership or support to the local council. Many of these inadequate provisions were in deplorable

conditions compounded by complaints from communities that they are

Felix A.Oginni and Olusola O.Fadipe


obsolete equipments with no spare parts for maintenance of even simple repairs to minor malfunctioning facilities impossible. There were also

ownership issues, and lack of skills for handling the facilities. Study also showed that water vendor is on the increase, and patronage of sachet water

popularly known as pure water. Development of the abundant surface water is recommended not only for domestic use but also for mini-hydropower supply. In the short run harnessing groundwater is expected to continue as a source of

domestic water supply from this community, studies should look into how to replenish it. A study on quality assessment of the various sources of water to

determine sanitation their levels should be carried out.

Key words: Surface Water, Groundwater, Distribution, Domestic, Facilities, Local Government.

Cite this Article: Felix A.Oginni and Olusola O.Fadipe, Domestic Water Supply Sources and Distribution Issues in Ilesha West Local Council, Osun

State, Nigeria. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 7(3), 2016, pp.408–418. http://www.iaeme.com/IJCIET/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=7&IType=3

1. INTRODUCTION

Ilesha is an important town in Osun state of Nigeria, broken down into two Local

Councils, or Local Government Areas, (LGAs) Ilesha East and Ilesha West for the purpose of bringing Government impacts closer to the various constituents of the Nigerian State. Ilesha West Local Government Area, LGA, is one of the 31 Local

Councils in Osun State of Nigeria. The LGA shares boundary mostly with four LGAs viz. Obokun and Oriade in the North and Atakumosa East and West in the South.

Ilesha West LGA has a population of 103,555 as at last census. Figure 1 indicates Ilesa West LGA with respect to Osun State. It is about 25 km southeast of Oshogbo, the Osun State Capital. Previous study has shown that this area is underlain by

Precambrian rocks typical of the basement complex of Nigeria (Rahaman, 1976). Some of the main rock types found in this area are granite-gneiss, which occupies

most part of the eastern flank, as well as amphibolites complex, quartzite and schist, which occupies other parts of the study area (Kayode, 2006; Ajayi et al, 2003).

The topography is gentle with few local rock outcrops in the Northeastern and

Northwestern parts. Ilesha was provided with pipe borne water by government in the past up to early 1980s. In the 80s, parts of the town have access to water supply from

the water works located in Omi-Asoro of the town. The source of the water is from 24km northeast at Efon-Alaaye, a town in Ekiti state. An attempt at solving the water supply problem was made in the mid 70s when a water project was conceived by the

then Oyo State Government by commissioning Messrs. Osot Associates to carry out the design of the then New Ilesha Water Supply Scheme and Extensions. The scheme

got to award and implementation stage in1983, but for some reasons did not see the light of the day. The late 80s witnessed irregular water supply in this areas and in the last 3 decades, supply of pipe borne water was faced out totally. Several attemp ts have

been made by the past and present government of the state to alleviate the problem. Tawa (2013), attributed the problem in Ilesha generally with the location as it is

located on the hill and rock and so no river or boreholes flows enough to supply water.

Domestic Water Supply Sources and Distribution Issues in Ilesha West Local Council,

Osun State, Nigeria


Figure 1: Map of Osun State Local Government Areas and Ilesha West LGA Study Area

There are several attempts in the areas of mini water schemes and dam but targets for functioning seem impossible for this town. The recent scheme is the Kajola (about 24 - 25km away from Ilesha from Oshogbo side) water supply which the government

promised to channel to Ilesha to supply water. The river Osun flows passed this river and the government believed it is enough to supply a reasonable part of Ilesha with

water. This project was awarded in 2006 but was abandoned in 2009, (Fadipe, 2015) . In 2013, the contract was re-awarded but the idea of dam construction was cancelled and a weir and an intake structure were approved. In fact the town was supposed to

get treated water from the water supply zones of the state since the creation. Apart from the uncompleted mini water scheme in Ibokun, the government is proposing

short- term solution of tanker services on some days of the week to the residents (Tawa, 2013). The long-term solution of the government is to pipe the Ibokun water supply into individual households. The distance from Ibokun to Ilesa is 25km so the

cost of this distribution system to homes might be huge. The initial plan of this long- term scheme was a dam but this was later changed to a weir and an intake structures

considering the amount of billions already spent on it. Non-availability of pipe borne water has forced the community to result to water source known as subsurface water. There has been indiscriminate sinking of wells by individuals and local authorities. In

fact, the number of bore-holes and hand-dug wells keep increasing to the extent that groundwater has become the principal and only source of water in Ilesha Local

Government Area.

Sanitation level in any community depends on the kinds of issues of concern with the source of water, adequacy, and abstraction as well as distribution processes.

Figure 1: Map of Osun State Local Government Areas and Ilesha West LGA Study Area



Possible sources of water for domestic consumption in any developing country such as Nigeria include:

Surface and flowing rivers and streams

Lakes

Shallow wells

Deep wells or boreholes

Pipe borne water

Osun State, Nigeria in her quest for potable water supply for all residents of the

state has set up a committee on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the report of the findings must be submitted for review for 2016. In order to pay

more attention to the need for a sound and robust public health and environmental sanitation within the community, it is necessary to examine various issues of concern in the provision and delivery of potable water supply. Researchers in this area of

interest include Schulz and Okun (1984); Olajire and Imeokparia, (2001); Ojo, et al., (2016); Kaonga, et al., (2013); Oginni and Ojoawo (2014); this will lead to

recommendations for required focus towards a safe and healthy environment that can attract better living standards. This paper attempts to harvest issues bothering on possible sources of water supply and distribution in one of the State’s Local Councils.

Recommendations arrived at can be used for address similar issues in other Local Government Areas in Nigeria.

2. MATERALS AND METHODS

The activities involved in the process of carrying out this study consisted of undertaking a study of previous efforts at addressing water supply challenges in this

locality, being part of the larger 1977 New Ilesha Water Supply Scheme and Extensions. Activities will then consider present efforts.

Present day investigation will require collection of water supply facility data from official record, field assessment and oral interview. Maps of the road network and the drainage network within the Local Government are procured and the water supply

facilities shown on them. Water resources were located in each of the local government wards and identified with the method of harnessing them. These are

shown in the maps produced for the purpose. Government owned water supply facilities in the community were located using the GPS and were assessed with special attention to neighborhoods that were mostly of low-class standards of living.

The following are the facilities assessed:

Streams and Rivers

Hand dug wells

Solar powered Boreholes

Non-Solar Powered Boreholes

Motorized Pumps Powered Boreholes

Water Supply through Vendors and Sachet Water Production, called pure water.

Different water sources and distribution methods with regard to operation and maintenance were critically surveyed for functioning and non- functioning facilities.

For the non-functioning facilities, the survey considered physical assessment of the following:


Osun State, Nigeria


Mechanism of supply

Performance

Adequacy

Uses

Causes of failure

The issues considered are indicated below:

Cost

Maintenance

Operations

Availability.

Result will be strictly based on physical assessment with no statistical analysis performed. This will be subject of a later study.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Previous Efforts and Status

Administratively, Ilesha was being catered for by Old Oyo State. Water needs of the entire Ijesha land was under the Old Oyo State. Water Corporation of Oyo State had

the responsibility of planning for the water infrastructural needs of the people in this area. A Master plan for the inhabitants of this geographical entity known as Ijesha

land was proposed to solve once and for all the Water Supply challenges in this area.

Prior to 1977, a New Ilesha Water Supply Scheme was conceived for all people living within Ilesha and her environs. Seeing to the enormity of Government

intervention in this area, other contingent areas asked that they could be included in the scheme. This was led to various extensions of the scheme which also led to re-

titling of the scheme to New Ilesha Water Supply Scheme and Extension, Osot Associates, (1977). The project was awarded by The General Manager, Water Corporation of Oyo State, whose office resided in the Cocoa House the awarded the

Consultancy work to Messrs. Osot Associtaes, Consulting Engineers, with Headquarters in Ibadan. The Consultants report which included Contract documents

was ready by 1977. Details of the Contract are summarized below:

(i) The Dam was to be on River Oyile in Ibokun, now Obokun LGA.

(ii) Other Hydraulic Structures associated with the Oyile Dam are

(a) Intake Structure and Cut and Cover Conduit

(b) Impact Type Stilling Basin

(c) Spillway, Wingwalls Converging and Collecting Channels

(d) Spillway Road Bridge

(iii) Pipeworks:-Rising Mains and Treatment Plant Pipes

(iv) High Lift Pump House

(v) Diesel Generator Set and Switch Gear Room

(vi) Treatment Works: To include Aerator and Dividing Weir, Circular Clarifier and Filter Beds

(vii) Concrete Reservoirs and Access Roads where applicable:



4,500m3 Underground; Elevated Water Tanks in Water Works

Gravity Main Service Reservoir located at Illo Aiyegunle

Service Reservoirs located at the following Communities:

Ilesha Iwara Itagunmodi Okebode

Kajola Illa Odo-gbo Idominasi

Ijemba Osu Ifewara Olorunsogo

Owasanmi Ibala Ijaregbe Illo Aiyegunle

(viii) Booster Balancing Tanks located at Wesley Guild, Ipole, Ejioro and

Odogbo Booster Tank at Igun

(ix) Reticulations:

Ilesha Ilerin Irogbo Ijemba Ikoromaja

Omiaka Kajola Ejioro Isaobi Ifewara

Iperindo Igun Ijano Iyemogun Ipole

Igangan Odo-gbo Iloro Eyingun Idominasi Olorunsogo

Araromi Ajebamdele Oke-Osin Isotun Ise

Gada Itagunmodi Oke-Bode Osu Illa

(x) Staff Quarters

The scope of works can be felt from the number of reticulations being 30(No) and

the number of Concrete Reservoirs which was 16(No).

The estimate of the project cost as at 1977 was ₦25million. This cost can currently be evaluated as ₦6.25billion. The Project was to be financed by a Foreign

Credit. In fact a Contractor financing scheme was considered by the time the project was awarded in 1983. It was actually awarded in 1983 with the then Governor of Oyo

State commissioning the Project ceremonially.

However the project was abandoned, probably for the following reasons:

It was considered a political project because the Governor that commissioned it did

not survive the election as a new Governor, Dr. Olunloyo came on the saddle of the affairs of the then Oyo State.

The expected Contractor financing terms could also have jeopardized interests on the scheme.

Government might not have this much money to be expended on only a section of the State inhabitants.

3.2. Recent Efforts and Status

The study area is well braided by a crisscross network of roads which make it less difficult for accessing the water supply facilities where necessary. Map of the

urbanized areas of the LGA is shown in Figure 2. The Figure is produced from Google map of Ilesha. The LGA is drained by the following rivers or streams:

River Oora

River Eshira

River Adeti

River Oshunmu

River Eran


Osun State, Nigeria


River Aladie

Results of the study were presented in two categories: physical assessment in terms of location, construction, operation and management; and challenges of water

supply schemes, facilities, and method of sustainability.

3.3. DomesticWater Supply Facilities

Ilesa-West local government has rivers and streams flowing within the Local Council.

It is the major source of surface water supply to this Local Council. Other sources are ground water resources. This can be through hand dug wells and through sinking of boreholes. The ground water can be fitted with hand pumps, and motorized pumps. As

recent water supply facilities, they are majorly solar powered. 90% of houses in the community have hand dug wells fitted with pumps or manual method of drawing

water. In response to Millennium Development Goals (MDG) one MDG borehole was constructed in 2009 and to cushion the effect of non-potable water to this town, a total of 32 new boreholes were constructed between 2013 and 2015. These are distributed

as indicated below:

Figure 2: Ilesha West LGA – Road

URBANIZED ILESHA WEST LGA

WEST LGA

ILESHA EAST LGA



Year No. of Boreholes

2009 1

2013 13

2014 10

2015 9

The network of rivers and streams together with Government owned boreholes are indicated in Figure 3.

3.4. Supply and Distribution Issues Raised

The issues raised are on each source of water supply. The sources are Surface Water;

Springs; Hand dug wells; Government Owned Water Supply facilities; Water Vendors and Sachet Waters

3.5. Surface Water

As at the period of this study, none of the residents confirmed drinking water from the streams or rivers but they are used for other domestic purposes. Assessment revealed that these stream and rivers are the final abode for most of the solid wastes generated

from the community. Use or supply and distribution is therefore not encouraged

Figure 3: Network of Surface Water Channels and Government Owned Boreholes


Osun State, Nigeria


without treatment. But if this will be the case, government agencies concerned with

sanitation issues recommended that boiling before us.

3.6. Spring

A particular settlement in the local government relies on water from the spring for drinking and other domestic activities. The spring is housed with concrete and open

spaces were created on the side for residents to fetch water from it. Fro m information gathered from the community, the Federal Government is solely responsible for the upgrading and maintenance of the spring. However elders in the settlement also took

it upon themselves to keep the environment clean as much as possible as this was evident from the surrounding on the day of visit. The residents said the spring had

never run dry. This implies that this source of supply is reliable and that there are no distribution issues per se. This source cannot be adequate for use for the community.

3.7. Hand – Dug Wells

Most of the household dug wells from this settlement have been abandoned since the

water from the spring look aesthetically acceptable than this source. Most of the dug wells in the low-class community were unlined.

3.8. Government Owned Water Supply Facilities

Government’s intervention was majorly in the provision of boreholes. Government

Owned facilities considered in this study include:

Solar Powered Boreholes

Non-Solar Powered Boreholes

Motorized Pumps

From official report, all this were functional after completion. Location of most of these public facilities are satisfactory but most residents complained that it is too open

and mostly on the roads. This is a put off for most residents interviewed.

Some homes have boreholes fitted with taps for neighbors and passers- by to fetch

water, almost all the Local, State and Federal Government facilities have broken down. Investigation on inability to function well for most of these water facilities revealed that most of the equipments inside the well are no more there. It is either

they were taken for repair and were never returned or they were carted away by strangers that disguised as Engineers. Further investigation revealed that some

complaints were on problems regarded as little malfunctioning of equipments but since it is government owned, it cannot be fixed by individuals. This is Ownership issue. Some residents also complained that some of the equipments are obsolete and

so spare parts could not be procured. The issue here is Non-availability of repair spare parts due to obsolesce of equipment. It can also be considered as Maintenance issue.

One of the revealing situations is that none of these facilities was ever piped into any home. This is distribution issue. They are just piped into public taps located in the settlements. Most of the taps of these facilities have gone off, a maintenance issue.

During the course of study, only children and women were seen with various forms of containers for fetching. The percentages of open containers are higher as compared to

kegs and covered buckets. Some of the residents confessed that they do not drink this water because they were not sure of quality in transit. While some residents complained they could not drink because of tastes, others complained that some



residents had some water-borne diseases after drinking it and so the water is contaminated. This is sanitation issue.

3.9. Water Vendors and Sachet Water

Residents that use water vendors stated that the location of the public taps is far from their homes so time wasted for fetching could be put into resourceful use. This is

distribution issue. Besides, children in the course of fetching throw dirt in the water. This implies a sanitation issue. Most of the children during the course of fetching water have been victims of car and bicycle accidents since they enjoy going to this

taps in groups.

3.10. Adequacy of Government Involvement in Water Supply and

Distribution Programmes

There are so many water supply sources that can be developed. In the Ilesha West Local Government area there are surface, shallow wells, and boreholes. The only area

of development of a source by this LGA is in the borehole development. Considering the spread of government water supply facilities, there is inadequacy of the

distribution of the facilities over the entire local council. From Figure 2, the spread is not uniformly distributed. Only about 25% of the area can be said to be covered. This 25% area represented 82% of Government’s ownership or support to the local

council. This shows inadequacy in the delivery of this service to the community.

Maintenance of the 25% of the developed borehole cannot be said to be adequate.

The facility is regarded obsolete, with no spare parts available even if the community is ready to take this up. Many of the facilities are in deplorable conditions.

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The glaring issue in the supply and distribution of water within the present Local Council is that there is no public pipe borne water into any home. Surface water if

developed will be an acceptable source of domestic water, but it seems there is no political muscle to get this done. Issues with surface water include the sanitation problem associated with the streams and rivers being the final abode for most of the

solid wastes generated from the community. Spring as a source of water supply was did not have any issue other that it may not be adequate to serve as an alternative. Its

distribution will be more complex to develop. Use of hand dug wells which every household can afford is expected to be lined and adequately located from nearby septic tanks. In fact most residents can not drink water from the wells as they

complained of that the well water has taste. The lining of the wells which may ameliorate this problem seems to be beyond low – class residents. Government’s

intervention in the supply and distribution had been in the provision of borehole packaged facilities. Facilities provided were Solar Powered Boreholes Non-Solar Powered Boreholes and Motorized Pumps. Solar powered boreholes were not

working in this town as all the ones assessed have packed up. Hand pump boreholes are functional but most residents around the facilities are not carried along in the

operation and maintenance of the facilities. Almost all the Local, State and Federal Government facilities have broken down. There were Ownership issues, where the facilities were considered as government facilities, hence monitoring was not as

effective. There were also maintenance issues due to lack of skills and maintenance issues due to obsolete equipment supplied which makes spare parts to carry out

simple repairs to minor malfunctioning problems impossible.


Osun State, Nigeria


It is therefore recommended that the community has to be integrated into the

technical, operational, financial and health issues right from the star t of the planning process of future water schemes. The abundant surface water in this part of the country should be exploited not only for domestic use but also for mini-hydropower

supply. In the short run harnessing groundwater is expected to continue as a source of domestic water supply from this community, studies should look into how to

replenish it. There should also be a study of quality assessment of the various sources of water to determine sanitation levels of each one. In the process an answer would be found to the issue of confirming or otherwise why water from this area have taste.

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