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An Efficiency Assessment of Lower Usuma Water Treatment Plant in Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria

2014; International organization of Scientific Research (IOSR); Volume: 8; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.9790/2402-081224653

2319-2402

Ibrahim A. Q, Onyenekwe P. C, Nwaedozie I. M,

Water resources management and optimization

Treatment of public water supply is an essential service in both developed and developing countries .Maintaining optimal environmental health and minimising prevalence of waterborne diseases are among critical challenges to development particularly in Africa It is a pro-active approach in public water supply quality control management to ensure consumers safety.The Lower Usuma Water Treatment commenced supply portable water to Abuja Metropolis in 1987.In recent past, media reports were up that Abuja Metropolis may likely to experience widespread incidence of waterborne diseases if the current situation is not checked.Only 42% of Abuja residents had access to safe water source.This underscores the relevance of the study to access the efficiency of the Lower Usuma Water Treatment (LUWT) Plant to supply portable water to Abuja Metropolis .Physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters of both the raw and treated water were stratifically sampled, and analyzed according to Standard Methods and Procedures.The results indicated that the source water was moderately contaminated .Plant Log Removal Value(LRV) and Efficiency were as follows: Physical parameters (0.48 to 0.51) and efficiency (65.25 to 68.19%),).The Overall average LRV and percentage efficiency of the LUWT were found to be 0.56 and 64% respectively within the period of study.The quality of treated water was found to be significantly in compliance with the WHO Guideline Values for safe drinking water but it runs short of public demand due to development in the Metropolis.The study recommended that the plant unit operation should be scaled up and re-engineered to improve its efficiency and therefore minimise the frequency/incidence of waterborne diseases in the Abuja Metropolis.The study concluded that the LUWT plant was still technologically appropriate to deliver safe water to the public within the period under study.