1.1 Introduction
Water is an essential substance in human life as it is used for various purposes such as drinking, washing and cooking (Ahmed et al., 2014). Water is the only substance that exists naturally on Earth in all three physical states of matter, gas, liquid, and solid, and it is always on the move among them. Water is taken from a feed hydrant into a temporary pipe. When the pipe crosses a driveway or a road, a cover or a cold patch should be put in place in order to allow cars to cross the temporary pipe. Temporary service connections can be made to the temporary pipe to connect to homes. There are many ways to perform a connection, one of which is to connect the temporary service connection to a garden hose. The temporary pipe should also add temporary fire hydrants for fire protection (Wieland, 2021).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Water is one of the world's most valuable resources. It is a basic necessity of life for both plants and animals. Mankind cannot, in fact, survive without water as even the human body is made up of about 70% water. Water resources are becoming increasingly scarce in many parts of the world due to development, increased demand, climate change and resulting drought and explosive population growth. The availability of a reliable and clean supply of water is one of the most important determinants of our health. WHO explains that diseases related to drinking-water contamination represent a major burden on human health and the interventions to improve the quality of drinking-water provide significant benefits to health.
Water supply system is the collection, transmission, treatment, storage, and distribution of water for homes, commercial establishments, industry, and irrigation, as well as for such public needs as fire fighting and street flushing. Of all municipal services, provision of potable water is perhaps the most vital. People depend on water for drinking, cooking, washing, carrying away wastes, and other domestic needs. Water supply systems must also meet requirements for public, commercial, and industrial activities. In all cases, the water must fulfil both quality and quantity requirements. Water was an important factor in the location of the earliest settled communities, and the evolution of public water supply systems is tied directly to the growth of cities. In the development of water resources beyond their natural condition in rivers, lakes, and springs, the digging of shallow wells was probably the earliest innovation. As the need for water increased and tools were developed, wells were made deeper.
Water is the only substance that exists naturally on Earth in all three physical states of matter, gas, liquid, and solid, and it is always on the move among them. The Earth has oceans of liquid water and Polar Regions covered by solid water. Energy from the sun is absorbed by liquid water in oceans, lakes, and rivers and gains enough energy for some of it to evaporate and enter the atmosphere as an invisible gas, water vapour. As the water vapour rises in the atmosphere it cools and condenses into tiny liquid droplets that scatter light and become visible as clouds. Under the proper conditions, these droplets further combine and become heavy enough to precipitate (fall out) as drops of liquid or, or if the air is cold enough, flakes of solid, thus returning to the surface of the Earth to continue this cycle of water between its condensed and vapour phases.
The hydrologic cycle is a conceptual model that describes the storage and movement of water between the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and the hydrosphere. Water on our planet can be stored in any one of the following major reservoirs: atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers, soils, glaciers, snowfields, and groundwater. Water moves from one reservoir to another by way of processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, deposition, runoff, infiltration, sublimation, transpiration, melting and groundwater flow. The oceans supply most of the evaporated water found in the atmosphere. Of this evaporated water, only 91% of it is returned to the oceans basins by way of precipitation. The remaining 9% is transported to areas over landmasses where climatologically factors induce the formation of precipitation. The resulting imbalance between rates of evaporation and precipitation over land and ocean is corrected by runoff and groundwater flow to the oceans.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to investigate the Water Demand and Distribution in Ilorin West Local Government.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that about 80% of all the diseases in the developing countries are related to unsafe water supply and inadequate sanitation. Lack of access to improved sanitation and safe water supply is a global crisis. The fast growth of the study area has contributed to the high demand of water supply and consumption within it. A lot of residents are dependent on boreholes and wells for their water supply. Some common feature of the water-based pathogens is the ability to grow to problematic concentrations within bio-films on pipe walls and sediments, particularly during periods of water stagnation and warmer conditions. Hence there is need for Water Demand and Distribution in Ilorin West Local Government.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Water Demand and Distribution in Ilorin West Local Government. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To determine how to improve the water supply infrastructure sustainably in the area under study;
- To examine the relationship between socio-economic characteristics and pattern of water consumption in the area under study;
- To determine the quantity of water demand in different household; and
- To assess the challenges facing water supply and demand for residents in the area and proffer solution.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Are there the challenges facing water supply for residents in the area and proffer solution?
- How can water supply infrastructure sustain the demand of individuals in the area under study?
- What is the quantity of water demand in different household?
- What is the relationship between socio-economic characteristics and pattern of water consumption in the area under study?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant relationship between distance to water source and the amount of water consumed
- H1: There is significant relationship between distance to water source and the amount of water consumed
Hypothesis Two
- H0: There are no significant challenges facing water supply for residents’ demand in the area under study
- H1: There are significant challenges facing water supply for residents’ demand in the area under study
1.7 Significance of Study
The study will be relevant in the following ways:
- It will aid the management of Water Company to properly manage the records of supplies to be made on a daily basis.
- It will enable the water company to be able to determine who they have supplied to and those that are still pending.
- It will provide an easy way of updating and verifying supply records of customers.
- It will serve as a management information system to the management of Water Company.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Investigation into Water Demand and Distribution in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Demand: The amount of a good or service that consumers are willing to buy at a particular price.
Supply: To provide, give, sell, or make available something that is wanted or needed by somebody or something.
Management: Administration of business, the organizing and controlling of the affairs of a business or a sector of a business.
