DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY SOURCES AND DISTRIBUTION ISSUES IN ILESHA WEST LOCAL COUNCIL, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

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International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET)
Volume 7, Issue 3, May–June 2016, pp. 407–418, Article ID: IJCIET_07_03_042
Available online at
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ISSN Print: 0976-6308 and ISSN Online: 0976-6316
© IAEME Publication
DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY SOURCES
AND DISTRIBUTION ISSUES IN ILESHA
WEST LOCAL COUNCIL, OSUN STATE,
NIGERIA
Felix A. Oginni and Olusola O. Fadipe
Department of Civil Engineering, Osun State University, PMB 4494, Oshogbo,
Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
The problem of adequate water supply is a recurring decimal in the
calculation of water supply issues facing Ilesha town for more than 40 years.
This study attempts to bring to the fore the issues that are accountable,
focusing on Ilesha West Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria.
Sources of water that can be tapped for domestic use considered adequacy of
rivers and streams, hand dug wells, boreholes, water though vendors and
sachet or pure waters. Previous and present efforts of concerned State
governments are presented. The various issues are harvested. Issues bothering
on water supply and distribution are considered for each of the sources of
water. Field study, oral interview, collection of data from appropriate
quarters was used to obtain information on the problems of management
practices used in provision of potable water to the community by private and
public agencies. The existing water supply system including distribution was
assessed in terms of availability, operation and management. Results
indicated that a State Government’s efforts actually commissioned a Water
Scheme capable of solving any water supply and distribution problem in the
larger Ijesha land six times Ilesha West LGA) in 1983, when the project was
commissioned. The issue can be due to politics. Results of recent efforts at
solving the water supply within the Ilesha West LGA shows that there is no
pipe borne water now and the most commonly used, of all the water sources is
the groundwater for domestic purposes. Issues with surface water include the
sanitation problem associated with the streams and rivers being the final
abode for most of the solid wastes generated from the community. Supply and
distribution of spring water will be complex to develop. Use of hand dug wells
is affordable by most of the houses but there is lining of the wells to contend
with because of sanitation issues. Government’s intervention only covered
25% of the area representing 82% of Government’s ownership or support to
the local council. Many of these inadequate provisions were in deplorable
conditions compounded by complaints from communities that they are

Felix A.Oginni and Olusola O.Fadipe
obsolete equipments with no spare parts for maintenance of even simple
repairs to minor malfunctioning facilities impossible. There were also
ownership issues, and lack of skills for handling the facilities. Study also
showed that water vendor is on the increase, and patronage of sachet water
popularly known as pure water. Development of the abundant surface water is
recommended not only for domestic use but also for mini-hydropower supply.
In the short run harnessing groundwater is expected to continue as a source of
domestic water supply from this community, studies should look into how to
replenish it. A study on quality assessment of the various sources of water to
determine sanitation their levels should be carried out.
Key words: Surface Water, Groundwater, Distribution, Domestic, Facilities,
Local Government.
Cite this Article: Felix A.Oginni and Olusola O.Fadipe, Domestic Water
Supply Sources and Distribution Issues in Ilesha West Local Council, Osun
State, Nigeria. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology,
7(3), 2016, pp.408–418.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJCIET/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=7&IType=3
1. INTRODUCTION
Ilesha is an important town in Osun state of Nigeria, broken down into two Local
Councils, or Local Government Areas, (LGAs) Ilesha East and Ilesha West for the
purpose of bringing Government impacts closer to the various constituents of the
Nigerian State. Ilesha West Local Government Area, LGA, is one of the 31 Local
Councils in Osun State of Nigeria. The LGA shares boundary mostly with four LGAs
viz. Obokun and Oriade in the North and Atakumosa East and West in the South.
Ilesha West LGA has a population of 103,555 as at last census. Figure 1 indicates
Ilesa West LGA with respect to Osun State. It is about 25 km southeast of Oshogbo,
the Osun State Capital. Previous study has shown that this area is underlain by
Precambrian rocks typical of the basement complex of Nigeria (Rahaman, 1976).
Some of the main rock types found in this area are granite-gneiss, which occupies
most part of the eastern flank, as well as amphibolites complex, quartzite and schist,
which occupies other parts of the study area (Kayode, 2006; Ajayi et al, 2003).
The topography is gentle with few local rock outcrops in the Northeastern and
Northwestern parts. Ilesha was provided with pipe borne water by government in the
past up to early 1980s. In the 80s, parts of the town have access to water supply from
the water works located in Omi-Asoro of the town. The source of the water is from
24km northeast at Efon-Alaaye, a town in Ekiti state. An attempt at solving the water
supply problem was made in the mid 70s when a water project was conceived by the
then Oyo State Government by commissioning Messrs. Osot Associates to carry out
the design of the then New Ilesha Water Supply Scheme and Extensions. The scheme
got to award and implementation stage in1983, but for some reasons did not see the
light of the day. The late 80s witnessed irregular water supply in this areas and in the
last 3 decades, supply of pipe borne water was faced out totally. Several attempts have
been made by the past and present government of the state to alleviate the problem.
Tawa (2013), attributed the problem in Ilesha generally with the location as it is
located on the hill and rock and so no river or boreholes flows enough to supply
water.

Domestic Water Supply Sources and Distribution Issues in Ilesha West Local Council,
Osun State, Nigeria
Figure 1: Map of Osun State Local Government Areas and Ilesha West LGA Study Area
There are several attempts in the areas of mini water schemes and dam but targets
for functioning seem impossible for this town. The recent scheme is the Kajola (about
24 - 25km away from Ilesha from Oshogbo side) water supply which the government
promised to channel to Ilesha to supply water. The river Osun flows passed this river
and the government believed it is enough to supply a reasonable part of Ilesha with
water. This project was awarded in 2006 but was abandoned in 2009, (Fadipe, 2015) .
In 2013, the contract was re-awarded but the idea of dam construction was cancelled
and a weir and an intake structure were approved. In fact the town was supposed to
get treated water from the water supply zones of the state since the creation. Apart
from the uncompleted mini water scheme in Ibokun, the government is proposing
short- term solution of tanker services on some days of the week to the residents
(Tawa, 2013). The long-term solution of the government is to pipe the Ibokun water
supply into individual households. The distance from Ibokun to Ilesa is 25km so the
cost of this distribution system to homes might be huge. The initial plan of this long-
term scheme was a dam but this was later changed to a weir and an intake structures
considering the amount of billions already spent on it. Non-availability of pipe borne
water has forced the community to result to water source known as subsurface water.
There has been indiscriminate sinking of wells by individuals and local authorities. In
fact, the number of bore-holes and hand-dug wells keep increasing to the extent that
groundwater has become the principal and only source of water in Ilesha Local
Government Area.
Sanitation level in any community depends on the kinds of issues of concern with
the source of water, adequacy, and abstraction as well as distribution processes.
Figure 1: Map of Osun State Local Government Areas and Ilesha West LGA Study Area

Possible sources of water for domestic consumption in any developing country such
as Nigeria include:
 Surface and flowing rivers and streams
 Lakes
 Shallow wells
 Deep wells or boreholes
 Pipe borne water
Osun State, Nigeria in her quest for potable water supply for all residents of the
state has set up a committee on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
and the report of the findings must be submitted for review for 2016. In order to pay
more attention to the need for a sound and robust public health and environmental
sanitation within the community, it is necessary to examine various issues of concern
in the provision and delivery of potable water supply. Researchers in this area of
interest include Schulz and Okun (1984); Olajire and Imeokparia, (2001); Ojo, et al.,
(2016); Kaonga, et al., (2013); Oginni and Ojoawo (2014); this will lead to
recommendations for required focus towards a safe and healthy environment that can
attract better living standards. This paper attempts to harvest issues bothering on
possible sources of water supply and distribution in one of the State’s Local Councils.
Recommendations arrived at can be used for address similar issues in other Local
Government Areas in Nigeria.
2. MATERALS AND METHODS
The activities involved in the process of carrying out this study consisted of
undertaking a study of previous efforts at addressing water supply challenges in this
locality, being part of the larger 1977 New Ilesha Water Supply Scheme and
Extensions. Activities will then consider present efforts.
Present day investigation will require collection of water supply facility data from
official record, field assessment and oral interview. Maps of the road network and the
drainage network within the Local Government are procured and the water supply
facilities shown on them. Water resources were located in each of the local
government wards and identified with the method of harnessing them. These are
shown in the maps produced for the purpose. Government owned water supply
facilities in the community were located using the GPS and were assessed with
special attention to neighborhoods that were mostly of low-class standards of living.
The following are the facilities assessed:
 Streams and Rivers
 Hand dug wells
 Solar powered Boreholes
 Non-Solar Powered Boreholes
 Motorized Pumps Powered Boreholes
 Water Supply through Vendors and Sachet Water Production, called pure water.
Different water sources and distribution methods with regard to operation and
maintenance were critically surveyed for functioning and non- functioning facilities.
For the non-functioning facilities, the survey considered physical assessment of the
following:

Osun State, Nigeria
 Mechanism of supply
 Performance
 Adequacy
 Uses
 Causes of failure
The issues considered are indicated below:
 Cost
 Maintenance
 Operations
 Availability.
Result will be strictly based on physical assessment with no statistical analysis
performed. This will be subject of a later study.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1. Previous Efforts and Status
Administratively, Ilesha was being catered for by Old Oyo State. Water needs of the
entire Ijesha land was under the Old Oyo State. Water Corporation of Oyo State had
the responsibility of planning for the water infrastructural needs of the people in this
area. A Master plan for the inhabitants of this geographical entity known as Ijesha
land was proposed to solve once and for all the Water Supply challenges in this area.
Prior to 1977, a New Ilesha Water Supply Scheme was conceived for all people
living within Ilesha and her environs. Seeing to the enormity of Government
intervention in this area, other contingent areas asked that they could be included in
the scheme. This was led to various extensions of the scheme which also led to re-
titling of the scheme to New Ilesha Water Supply Scheme and Extension, Osot
Associates, (1977). The project was awarded by The General Manager, Water
Corporation of Oyo State, whose office resided in the Cocoa House the awarded the
Consultancy work to Messrs. Osot Associtaes, Consulting Engineers, with
Headquarters in Ibadan. The Consultants report which included Contract documents
was ready by 1977. Details of the Contract are summarized below:
(i) The Dam was to be on River Oyile in Ibokun, now Obokun LGA.
(ii) Other Hydraulic Structures associated with the Oyile Dam are
(a) Intake Structure and Cut and Cover Conduit
(b) Impact Type Stilling Basin
(c) Spillway, Wingwalls Converging and Collecting
Channels
(d) Spillway Road Bridge
(iii) Pipeworks:-Rising Mains and Treatment Plant Pipes
(iv) High Lift Pump House
(v) Diesel Generator Set and Switch Gear Room
(vi) Treatment Works: To include Aerator and Dividing Weir, Circular
Clarifier and Filter Beds
(vii) Concrete Reservoirs and Access Roads where applicable:

4,500m3
Underground; Elevated Water Tanks in Water Works
Gravity Main Service Reservoir located at Illo Aiyegunle
Service Reservoirs located at the following Communities:
Ilesha Iwara Itagunmodi Okebode
Kajola Illa Odo-gbo Idominasi
Ijemba Osu Ifewara Olorunsogo
Owasanmi Ibala Ijaregbe Illo Aiyegunle
(viii) Booster Balancing Tanks located at Wesley Guild, Ipole, Ejioro and
Odogbo Booster Tank at Igun
(ix) Reticulations:
Ilesha Ilerin Irogbo Ijemba Ikoromaja
Omiaka Kajola Ejioro Isaobi Ifewara
Iperindo Igun Ijano Iyemogun Ipole
Igangan Odo-gbo Iloro Eyingun Idominasi Olorunsogo
Araromi Ajebamdele Oke-Osin Isotun Ise
Gada Itagunmodi Oke-Bode Osu Illa
(x) Staff Quarters
The scope of works can be felt from the number of reticulations being 30(No) and
the number of Concrete Reservoirs which was 16(No).
The estimate of the project cost as at 1977 was ₦25million. This cost can
currently be evaluated as ₦6.25billion. The Project was to be financed by a Foreign
Credit. In fact a Contractor financing scheme was considered by the time the project
was awarded in 1983. It was actually awarded in 1983 with the then Governor of Oyo
State commissioning the Project ceremonially.
However the project was abandoned, probably for the following reasons:
 It was considered a political project because the Governor that commissioned it did
not survive the election as a new Governor, Dr. Olunloyo came on the saddle of
the affairs of the then Oyo State.
 The expected Contractor financing terms could also have jeopardized interests on the
scheme.
 Government might not have this much money to be expended on only a section of the
State inhabitants.
3.2. Recent Efforts and Status
The study area is well braided by a crisscross network of roads which make it less
difficult for accessing the water supply facilities where necessary. Map of the
urbanized areas of the LGA is shown in Figure 2. The Figure is produced from
Google map of Ilesha. The LGA is drained by the following rivers or streams:
 River Oora
 River Eshira
 River Adeti
 River Oshunmu
 River Eran

Osun State, Nigeria
 River Aladie
Results of the study were presented in two categories: physical assessment in
terms of location, construction, operation and management; and challenges of water
supply schemes, facilities, and method of sustainability.
3.3. DomesticWater Supply Facilities
Ilesa-West local government has rivers and streams flowing within the Local Council.
It is the major source of surface water supply to this Local Council. Other sources are
ground water resources. This can be through hand dug wells and through sinking of
boreholes. The ground water can be fitted with hand pumps, and motorized pumps. As
recent water supply facilities, they are majorly solar powered. 90% of houses in the
community have hand dug wells fitted with pumps or manual method of drawing
water. In response to Millennium Development Goals (MDG) one MDG borehole was
constructed in 2009 and to cushion the effect of non-potable water to this town, a total
of 32 new boreholes were constructed between 2013 and 2015. These are distributed
as indicated below:
Figure 2: Ilesha West LGA – Road
URBANIZED ILESHA WEST LGA
WEST LGA
ILESHA EAST LGA

Year No. of Boreholes
2009 1
2013 13
2014 10
2015 9
The network of rivers and streams together with Government owned boreholes are
indicated in Figure 3.
3.4. Supply and Distribution Issues Raised
The issues raised are on each source of water supply. The sources are Surface Water;
Springs; Hand dug wells; Government Owned Water Supply facilities; Water Vendors
and Sachet Waters
3.5. Surface Water
As at the period of this study, none of the residents confirmed drinking water from the
streams or rivers but they are used for other domestic purposes. Assessment revealed
that these stream and rivers are the final abode for most of the solid wastes generated
from the community. Use or supply and distribution is therefore not encouraged
Figure 3: Network of Surface Water Channels and Government Owned
Boreholes

Osun State, Nigeria
without treatment. But if this will be the case, government agencies concerned with
sanitation issues recommended that boiling before us.
3.6. Spring
A particular settlement in the local government relies on water from the spring for
drinking and other domestic activities. The spring is housed with concrete and open
spaces were created on the side for residents to fetch water from it. From information
gathered from the community, the Federal Government is solely responsible for the
upgrading and maintenance of the spring. However elders in the settlement also took
it upon themselves to keep the environment clean as much as possible as this was
evident from the surrounding on the day of visit. The residents said the spring had
never run dry. This implies that this source of supply is reliable and that there are no
distribution issues per se. This source cannot be adequate for use for the community.
3.7. Hand – Dug Wells
Most of the household dug wells from this settlement have been abandoned since the
water from the spring look aesthetically acceptable than this source. Most of the dug
wells in the low-class community were unlined.
3.8. Government Owned Water Supply Facilities
Government’s intervention was majorly in the provision of boreholes. Government
Owned facilities considered in this study include:
 Solar Powered Boreholes
 Non-Solar Powered Boreholes
 Motorized Pumps
From official report, all this were functional after completion. Location of most of
these public facilities are satisfactory but most residents complained that it is too open
and mostly on the roads. This is a put off for most residents interviewed.
Some homes have boreholes fitted with taps for neighbors and passers- by to fetch
water, almost all the Local, State and Federal Government facilities have broken
down. Investigation on inability to function well for most of these water facilities
revealed that most of the equipments inside the well are no more there. It is either
they were taken for repair and were never returned or they were carted away by
strangers that disguised as Engineers. Further investigation revealed that some
complaints were on problems regarded as little malfunctioning of equipments but
since it is government owned, it cannot be fixed by individuals. This is Ownership
issue. Some residents also complained that some of the equipments are obsolete and
so spare parts could not be procured. The issue here is Non-availability of repair spare
parts due to obsolesce of equipment. It can also be considered as Maintenance issue.
One of the revealing situations is that none of these facilities was ever piped into
any home. This is distribution issue. They are just piped into public taps located in the
settlements. Most of the taps of these facilities have gone off, a maintenance issue.
During the course of study, only children and women were seen with various forms of
containers for fetching. The percentages of open containers are higher as compared to
kegs and covered buckets. Some of the residents confessed that they do not drink this
water because they were not sure of quality in transit. While some residents
complained they could not drink because of tastes, others complained that some

residents had some water-borne diseases after drinking it and so the water is
contaminated. This is sanitation issue.
3.9. Water Vendors and Sachet Water
Residents that use water vendors stated that the location of the public taps is far from
their homes so time wasted for fetching could be put into resourceful use. This is
distribution issue. Besides, children in the course of fetching throw dirt in the water.
This implies a sanitation issue. Most of the children during the course of fetching
water have been victims of car and bicycle accidents since they enjoy going to this
taps in groups.
3.10. Adequacy of Government Involvement in Water Supply and
Distribution Programmes
There are so many water supply sources that can be developed. In the Ilesha West
Local Government area there are surface, shallow wells, and boreholes. The only area
of development of a source by this LGA is in the borehole development. Considering
the spread of government water supply facilities, there is inadequacy of the
distribution of the facilities over the entire local council. From Figure 2, the spread is
not uniformly distributed. Only about 25% of the area can be said to be covered. This
25% area represented 82% of Government’s ownership or support to the local
council. This shows inadequacy in the delivery of this service to the community.
Maintenance of the 25% of the developed borehole cannot be said to be adequate.
The facility is regarded obsolete, with no spare parts available even if the community
is ready to take this up. Many of the facilities are in deplorable conditions.
4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The glaring issue in the supply and distribution of water within the present Local
Council is that there is no public pipe borne water into any home. Surface water if
developed will be an acceptable source of domestic water, but it seems there is no
political muscle to get this done. Issues with surface water include the sanitation
problem associated with the streams and rivers being the final abode for most of the
solid wastes generated from the community. Spring as a source of water supply was
did not have any issue other that it may not be adequate to serve as an alternative. Its
distribution will be more complex to develop. Use of hand dug wells which every
household can afford is expected to be lined and adequately located from nearby
septic tanks. In fact most residents can not drink water from the wells as they
complained of that the well water has taste. The lining of the wells which may
ameliorate this problem seems to be beyond low – class residents. Government’s
intervention in the supply and distribution had been in the provision of borehole
packaged facilities. Facilities provided were Solar Powered Boreholes Non-Solar
Powered Boreholes and Motorized Pumps. Solar powered boreholes were not
working in this town as all the ones assessed have packed up. Hand pump boreholes
are functional but most residents around the facilities are not carried along in the
operation and maintenance of the facilities. Almost all the Local, State and Federal
Government facilities have broken down. There were Ownership issues, where the
facilities were considered as government facilities, hence monitoring was not as
effective. There were also maintenance issues due to lack of skills and maintenance
issues due to obsolete equipment supplied which makes spare parts to carry out
simple repairs to minor malfunctioning problems impossible.

Osun State, Nigeria
It is therefore recommended that the community has to be integrated into the
technical, operational, financial and health issues right from the start of the planning
process of future water schemes. The abundant surface water in this part of the
country should be exploited not only for domestic use but also for mini-hydropower
supply. In the short run harnessing groundwater is expected to continue as a source of
domestic water supply from this community, studies should look into how to
replenish it. There should also be a study of quality assessment of the various sources
of water to determine sanitation levels of each one. In the process an answer would be
found to the issue of confirming or otherwise why water from this area have taste.
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