ASSESSMENT OF DOMESTIC WATER SECURITY IN AUCHI, NIGERIA

Abstract

Rapid urbanization, environmental constrains, climate change and inability of public utilities to cope with increasing demand affects water supply system. This is evident in the Auchi region as about 70% of Auchi households have no access to adequate domestic water source. It has become the subject of great scrutiny with concern; hence the needs for strategies that can help reverse the water insecurity trend. In search of such approaches to successfully manage their water resources and services, the need to satisfy domestic water use in Auchi has continued to engage scholars and researchers. The study assesses the domestic water security in Auchi to investigate the influence of residents' socio-economic status on water consumption. It evaluated per capita water consumption and potability, accessibility and usage pattern, various sources' efficiency, and waterrelated risks. This is to suggest sustainable approaches to managing water insecurity and related issues. The study postulated five hypotheses while social survey research design was used. The generated data for the research was from both primary and secondary sources. It used open and close-ended well-structured questionnaires and interview guides to obtain primary data. Secondary data include information on water management issues, efforts of relevant institutions, associated water problems, pertinent data sourced from Government agencies and other published and unpublished documents. It also considered inventories on the abstraction of raw water sourced from the natural environment through rainwater, surface water, and underground water. Climatic dataset applied for the study spanned from 1981- 2015 (35 years). This was analyzed over the baseline study period. The contribution of water from the Ojirami dam through inter-basin transfer was carefully examined to address supply needs. For the study, samples of one liter of water were collected per source and used for physical and chemical parameter studies. Conversely, four sets of questionnaires were structurally designed and investigated. Therefore, an adopted five percent (5%) administered sample size in each of the five (5) quarters of Auchi resulted in a total number of 702 sampled households. An engaged systematic random sampling technique was used to administer the questionnaire, with residential buildings serving as sampling units. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS-25) and Microsoft Excel (2013) was used to analyze, interpret, and present generated data. Correlation analysis was applied to check the significant relationship between the formulated hypotheses. These include: Pearson product-moment, point-biserial, and Spearman's rho-correlation and Chi-square tests. The results showed that the socioeconomic characteristics of residents have significant impacts on the per capita consumption of water with a correlation coefficient estimate of 0.925, 0.849, and 0.907, and were all significant at 0.01 alpha level; (P< 0.01). Marital status, occupation, gender, and education of the respondents are statistically significant at 1% and 5%, to per capita consumption. The model estimate of the socioeconomic predictor of per capita consumption indicates that; gender, occupation, marital status, and education contribute significantly to consumption of water among the residents. The regression analysis result reveals that the quality and quantity of water determine the level of per capita consumption. it also determine the relationship between water demand and supply on one hand as well as health implications. The study therefore recommends renewed public commitment to investment in inter-basin transfer, rainwater harvesting while effort should be emphasized on water infrastructure investments.