Provision of Sustainable Water Supply System in Nigeria: A Case Study of Wannune-Benue State

It has been estimated that about 80 percent of all the diseases in the developing countries are related to unsafe water supply and inadequate sanitation. Lack of access to improved sanitation and safe water [1] supply is a global crisis. The effects of inadequate water supply are more visible and prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents an assessment of the existing water supply system at Wannune-Nigeria based on an onsite-physical inspection and discussion with some stakeholders. The assessment revealed that the existing water supply systems broke down due to poor and/or lack of proper operation and maintenance practice. This led to the dependence by residents on water from unprotected wells, rivers and streams. This is capable of causing some sanitation and water related diseases like cholera, diarrhea, among others. To improve the situation, a provisional design of a water supply system for Wannune was done. The system comprises a water treatment plant of 5,000 m3/d capacity, transmission mains of 41,000 metres length and three elevated reservoirs of 200, 500 and 1000 m3 capacities for storage and transmission of the treated water.