Public disposition to household water saving devices in Akure Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Water scarcity has become a perennial problem affecting many households in Nigeria. While water resources in Nigeria are constrained, demand for water has increased and outstripped supply. This is largely due to rapid population growth, economic and agricultural growth, climate change and high standard of living among certain cadres. This paper examines the level of public awareness on the choice of plumbing materials in household water conservation. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to homeowners, plumbers and plumbing materials vendors. The result shows that the choice of plumbing materials is largely based on durability, aesthetic and affordability of the product. The research also revealed that many home owners and plumbers in Akure are not aware of water saving devices which is a common water demand conservation strategy that have recorded high degree of success in many developed and developing countries. It is recommended that government should embark on aggressive public enlightenment campaign through government agencies like National Orientation Agencies (NOA), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Federal and State Ministry of Water Resources to sensitize public on the use of household water conservation devices to reduce water demand.