The Impact of Pipe Distribution Network on the Quality of Tap Water in Ojota, Lagos State, Nigeria

Odafivwotu Ohwo^1,

¹Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Cite this paper:
Odafivwotu Ohwo. The Impact of Pipe Distribution Network on the Quality of Tap Water in Ojota, Lagos State, Nigeria. American Journal of Water Resources. 2014; 2(5):110-117. doi: 10.12691/ajwr-2-5-2

Abstract

Public water supply is distributed through water pipe network, which may affect the quality of water that gets to the consumers if the integrity of the pipe distribution network is compromised. Hence, this study was designed to determine whether there is significant variation in the water quality that gets to the consumer after transportation through the pipe distribution network. In order to achieve this aim, twenty-five tap water samples were randomly collected. In addition, a control sample was collected from Iju Water Works, which serve Ojota community. The analyses revealed that the measured values of some of the selected tap water quality parameters varied from Iju Water Works, to the various sampled zones. For example, total coliform and fecal coliform bacteria counts show that 8 (30.72%) and 6 (23.08%) samples have concentrations above the WHO zero thresholds for total and fecal coliform, respectively. In addition, turbidity and color show unsatisfactory concentrations in some of the sampled tap water, as turbidity has 17 (65.38%) of the samples having concentration above the 5 NTU WHO threshold for drinking water; while all the 25 (100%) tap water samples, have color values above the WHO 5 unit threshold. Similarly, the values of residual chlorine vary from 0.5 mg/l at Iju Water Works, to 0 – 0.25 mg/l at the various zones. The T-test analyses revealed that there are significant differences between the quality values at Iju Water Works and the various zones. This is an indication that the integrity of the treated water transported to Ojota has been compromised and not safe for human consumption. It is recommended that the Lagos State Government should undertake a general overhaul and replacement of the dilapidated water pipe distribution network in the state to guarantee safe supply of tap water to the populace.

Keywords:
distribution network Ojota quality variation tap water WHO thresholds

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	World Water Council, “Water supply and sanitation” 2005 [Online] Available: http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/index.php?id [Accessed 13 November, 2007].
[2]	Hunter, P.R; Colford, J.M; Lechevalier, M.W; Binder, S and Berger, P.S, “Water borne diseases, in emerging infectious diseases” (Conference Panel Summaries) 7 (3) p 544 Supplement, June 2001.
[3]	WHO/UNICEF, “Water and sanitation report, The Guardian, Monday, December 4, 2006.
[4]	Lee, E. J and Schwab, K. J, “Deficiencies in drinking water distribution systems in developing countries”, Journal of Water and Health, 3.2, 109-127. 2005
[5]	Lahlou, M. Z, “Water quality in distribution systems”. Tech. Brief: A National Drinking Water Clearing House Fact Sheet, 2002.
[6]	Frederick, K.D, “America’s water supply: status and prospects for the future”, Consequences, Vol. 1. No. 1, [Online] Available: http://www.gerio.org/CONSEQUENCES/sprint95/water.html. [Accessed 13 October, 2007].
[7]	Awwa Research Foundation, “Advancing the science of water: AwwaRF and distribution system water quality” [Online]Available: http://www.waterrf.org/resources/StateOfTheScienceReports/DistributionSystemWaterQualityResearch.pdf.[ Accessed 5 September, 2013].
[8]	APHA, “Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. 19th ed. American Public Health Association, Washington, D. C., 1:467. 1998.
[9]	Ifenna, I and Chinedu, O, “Heavy metal levels and physico-chemical parameters of potable water in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria”, Archives of Applied Science Research, 4 (5): 2094-2097. 2012.
[10]	Ohwo, O, “Quality of Water supply from hand-dug wells in Warri-Effurun metropolis Delta State, Nigeria”, Nigeria Geographical Journal, 8 (2): 73-86. 2012.
[11]	Basualdo, J., Pezzani, B., De Luca, M., Cordoba, A. & Apezteguia, M, “Screening the municipal water system of La Plata, Argentina, for human intestinal parasites. Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health 203(2), 177-182. 2000
[12]	Akinyemi, K. O, Oyefolu, A.O.B, Salu, O.B, Adewale, O.A and Fasure, A.K, “Bacteria pathogens associated with tap and well waters in Lagos, Nigeria”. East and Central African Journal of Surgery, 11(1) 110-117. 2006.
[13]	Gaytan, M., Castro, T., Bonilla, P., Lugo, A. & Vilaclara, G, “Preliminary study of selected drinking water samples in Mexico City”, Rev. Int. Contamin. Ambient 13(2), 73-78. 1997.
[14]	Agard, L., Alexander, C., Green, S., Jackson, M., Patel, S. & Adesiyun, A, “Microbial quality of water supply to an urban community in Trinidad,” J. Food Prot. 65(8), 1297-1303. 2002.
[15]	Mermin, J. H., Villar, R., Carpenter, J., Roberts, L., Samaridden, A., Gasanova, L., Lomakina, S., Bopp, C., Hutwagner, L., Mead, P., Ross, B. & Mintz, E. D, “A massive epidemic of multidrug-resistant typhoid fever in Tajikistan associated with consumption of municipal water,” J. Infect. Dis. 179(6), 1416-1422. 1999.
[16]	Semenza, J. C., Roberts, L., Henderson, A., Bogan, J. & Rubin, C. H, “Water distribution system and diarrheal disease transmission: A case study in Uzbekistan,” Am. J. Trop. Med.Hyg. 59(6), 941-946. 1998.
[17]	US Environmental Protection Agency, “National primary drinking water standards,” Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. 2003.
[18]	Hammer, M. J. & Hammer, M. J. J, Water and wastewater technology, 4th edn. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 2001.
[19]	Juhna, T. & Klavins, M, “Water-quality changes in Latvia and Riga 1980-2000: possibilities and problems,” Ambio 30(4-5), 306-314. 2001.
[20]	Besner, M. C., Gauthier, V., Servais, P. & Camper, A, “Explaining the Occurrence of Coliforms in Distribution Systems,” J. Am. Wat. Wks Assoc. 94(8), 95-109. 2002.
[21]	Herrick, D, “Cross-connections and backflow,” Wat. Well J. 51(5), 67-70. 1997.
[22]	Standards Organization of Nigeria, Nigeria standard for drinking water quality, ICS13.060.20: Nigeria Industrial Standard Manual, NIS 554: 2007.
[23]	Kumar, M. and Puri, A, “A review of permissible limits of drinking water,” Indian J Occup Environ Med 16(1) 40-44. 2012.
[24]	Wagner, I, International report: internal corrosion of pipes in public water distribution networks. Wat. Suppl. 12(1/2), IR7-1–IR7-5. 1994.