AFRICAN JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES. Vol. 1 No. 2, 2020 (ISSN: 2786-9741) 150 ASSESSMENT OF ACCESS TO DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY SOURCES IN GYEL DISTRICT OF JOS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Access to clean potable water and good sanitation facilities is a great problem for many households in Nigeria. The issue is particularly very severe in most parts of northern Nigeria with few households having access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. This is responsible for high incidences of waterborne diseases, threats to livelihoods of many poor households, and a contributor to low levels of school enrollment, especially among girls. This study therefore seeks to determine the distribution pattern and its effects on the level of user accessibility to domestic water supply sources in Gyel district of Jos South LGA Plateau State, Nigeria. The research utilized the Satellite data, coordinates of various sources of domestic water and their attributes, population data and a structured questionnaire and photographs from field in determining the locations, density and proximity of water supply projects to their target users. ArcGIS 10.3 tool was used in determining the density and proximity, mapping and Geo-processing, while SPSS and Microsoft software were used for the Statistical analysis. Findings showed that hand dug wells had the highest number among the public water sources and 60% of the respondents depends on it as their primary source of domestic water supply. The pattern of the distribution of water supply facilities were clustered around the city centre and well planned cadastral area, this exerts serious pressure on access to water sources especially on those within the unplanned and newly developed area as only 32% of the respondents had access to the public domestic water sources. Most of the built-up areas which constituted the households fall within the basic access level while the thinly occupied areas fall within no-access level where the basic standard for domestic water usage are not met, 71% of the respondents asserted that there was a problem of water scarcity as a result of distance (no proximity) and longer travel time, inconsistency of supply and seasonal effects. The study recommended the provision of more domestic water sources in unserved districts by the Plateau State Water Board (PSWB), private sector and individuals, the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB).