Exploring the State of Municipal Water Supply Infrastructure

Abstract

This paper explores the state of water infrastructure, concerning the obligation of the government municipal water supply agency (Plateau State Water Board) responsible for urban water supply. The study employs the qualitative method; a structured closed-ended questionnaire was prepared, and face-to-face interview was conducted with eight management staff of the board, thereafter interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using NVivo 12 software. Results from the analyses show that water infrastructures are in a deplorable state characterized by; bad condition of dams and water treatment plants, lack of stable electricity, lack of metering of customers as well as frequent cases of pipe bursts said to be connected to illegal connection by the residents of informal/slum settlements. The novelty of this study is anchored on the reality that infrastructure challenges negating the efficiency of PSWB were unveiled, and strategies that could improve and promote sustainability of water provision such as the ‘smart city’ concept that uses modern technology and ‘stakeholder’s involvement’ in the water governance process was suggested.