A Comparative Study of Operations and Maintenance of Iju Water Works

Abstract

A water supply system is designed to provide potable water to its intended consumers. The design takes into account the required quantity for the intended population. A typical water supply system includes withdrawal from source, headworks, treatment plant, storage system and distribution system. The operation and maintenance of water supply systems helps it reach its serviceability limit. The study was carried out by comparing the operation and maintenance routine in Iju water supply scheme, Ota and Arakanga water supply scheme, Abeokuta, Ogun State by obtaining records of input parameter such as daily operation routine, installed capacity of the schemes, production duration, salary cost, operation and maintenance cost, chemical cost, output parameters such as volume of water produced and sold, revenue recovered, general customer care and services records. It was observed that the better performance of Abeokuta can be traced to the residence of the government in the state capital, infiltration of elites being the state capital in comparison to Ota which has more middle- and low-income earners in spite of the presence of industries based on the revenue recovery success and government subsidy. It was therefore recommended that operation and maintenance technique used in Arakanga Abeokuta be implemented in Ota, new connections be made in newly developed areas in order to increase the effectiveness of the schemes ensuring that potable and ample supply of water is obtained in these municipal cities.