Drinking Water Quality and Sanitation Issues: A Survey of a Semi-Urban Setting in Nigeria

An assessment on the drinking water quality from major source (borehole) and household in a semi-urban setting in Nigeria was carried out. Structured questionnaire was administered to randomly selected households in seven zones of the municipality to determine the common method of collection and transportation, storage, and sanitation practices. Water samples collected were subjected to laboratory analyses for physico-chemical and microbial properties. The result of the physico-chemical analysis when compared against the World Health Organization (WHO) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) drinking water quality benchmark revealed that the water samples were within standards for consumable water except for the presence of feacal contamination. The result revealed that before water can be totally considered safe for drinking, further treatment is required at the household level due to fecal contamination, and water safety concerns are also highlighted. The result translates to the fact that compliance assessment with standards and impact assessment studies in determining the fate of pollutants is necessary at all level