Evaluation of water supply system Case study in Naka ... - ENGEES

Evaluation of water supply system – Case study in Naka, NigeriaThe climate is clearly marked by a rainy season (precipitation from 1,200 to 1,400mm) from about April to September followed by a dry season. Water is used for alldomestic purposes but not for irrigation as growing crops is mainly done during therainy season. Dry season is time to prepare the field and hunt.Concerning water supply, Naka was primarily not concerned by the firstgovernmental project to provide water in the small town because there was nopotential sustainable water resources. The area is not suitable for groundwaterexploitation, and there are no important rivers close by. The construction of an earthdam by the Lower Benue River Development Authority (LBRBDA) in 1985 providedthe possibility to develop improved water supply. The project designed a piped-watersupply with an intake rate of 20m 3 per hour, a Water Treatment Plant (WTP) withsedimentation tank, filters, chlorination and an elevated-tank of 100m 3 capacityproviding water to 15 public tap stands. The scheme was constructed in 1998 and aclear water tank of 90 m 3 was later added in the WTP (cf. Appendix C). Water wassupplied free of charge for the consumers. The schools, estimated around 50 innumber do not have water supply, except Mount La Salle College (MLSC); onepublic clinic has got public tap.Nigeria has a federal government structure with three levels of government structures:federal, state and local. Naka is the place of the headquarters of the Gwer-West localgovernment which has got a Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) Unit. Itremains in Naka the existence of traditional chiefs who are still influent in the life ofthe town. Concerning the WCA, the executive committee was elected in March 2006for a period of 2 years and is constituted by a chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, awater scheme supervisor and a woman representative (who is a woman).Cranfield University at Silsoe 17 Florianne Bourrigault (2006)