THE FCT URBAN WATER SCHEME PLANT 1 & 2
PART 2
Water
Quality Standards
One of the most common legislative tools in water
management is establishment of quality standards (i.e. attributes of the type
of water that we wish to retain). Quality standards are, in effect, a
regulatory tool that lists specific qualities associated with specific desired
uses. To establish such standards, uses or values of the water resource are
determined and then specific quality attributes are assigned to
those uses. For example, a water body for use as a public water supply will
have an associated list of attributes such as low turbidity or levels of heavy
metals
below some certain threshold. Consequently, qualify
standards are specific to a given use and represent
the maximum allowable level of pollution.
Quality
standards are based on assimilative capacity of a water body (i.e., the ability
of the resource to receive wastes or impacts and maintain its structure and
function within the bounds of set standards). An ecosystem can assimilate or
diffuse some impacts without exhibiting unacceptable characteristics.
Logically, larger bodies of water can assimilate more than smaller
Streams
fast-moving streams can assimilate more than slowing-moving ones. Because water
treatment facilities are extremely expensive, an enormous emphasis has been
placed on the natural assimilative capacity of waters throughout history (i.e.
dilution is the solution to pollution). This concept is still the primary
treatment philosophy in many developing countries. Identifying the uses for
which a water resource will be managed is the first, and most important, step
in managing water quality.
Quality
standards are based on assimilative capacity of a water body (i.e., the ability
of the resource to receive wastes or impacts and maintain its structure and
function within the bounds
of
set standards). An ecosystem can assimilate or diffuse some impacts without
exhibiting unacceptable characteristics. Logically, larger bodies of water can
assimilate more than smaller streams; fast-moving streams can assimilate more
than slowing-moving ones. Because water treatment facilities are extremely
expensive, an enormous emphasis has been placed on the natural assimilative
capacity of waters throughout history (i.e. dilution is the solution to
pollution). This concept is still the primary treatment philosophy in many
developing countries. Identifying the uses for which a water resource will be
managed is the first, and most important, step in managing water quality.
In
Nigeria, as in most developing countries, water quality is generally
deteriorating, especially
around
urban areas. Population growth and industrial expansion are generally not
managed by
appropriate
standard, enforcement of infrastructures such as sewer systems and water
treatment
plants
is not done. Meybeck et al (1989) noted that only 10 out of 60 rapidly
developing countries have established effective water quality laws,
regulations, or enforcement of relevant
infrastructures.
In addition, the fast pace of development and pollution creates nearly
impossible
situations:
the pollution that grew over a 100 year period in developed countries now
occurs in
barely
a generation in developing countries (Meybeck et al 1989). Consequently,
few major
cities
in the developing world have adequate sewage treatment facilities, and
municipal potable
water supplies are often not disinfected. Nigeria is
not an exception.
In lower Usuma dam, the
quality control unit is divided into three sections Physiochemical,
bacteriological and biological. They carry series of sample tests in the
laboratory to determine the quality of water produced, by observing the UNO’s
standard for production of water.
The Physiochemical
section is responsible for carrying out quality control analysis on the
physical and chemical properties of water while the bacteriological sections
are charge with the bacteriological examination of the water. The biological
monitoring unit is responsible for aquatic ecosystem of the reservoir and
ecology of the catchment area as it affects the quality of raw water in the
reservoir.
The quality control
section is also responsible for performing experiments relating to the quantity
of chemicals dosed into the water. The treated water must be checked to be in
conformity with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations before
distribution to the various storage tanks in the territory.
The quality controllers
also monitor water even as it is distributed from the treated works and within
the territory. From time to time the quality control staff visit individual
houses and collect samples to analyses. The board looks at water always from
the point of view of how clean it is, its effect on health, laundry etc.
Similar tests are
carried out three times a day to ascertain the quality of the treated water.
These results pass through many Officers for verification before finally handed
over to the production unit whose sole responsibility is to enforce a change in
the pumps. Similar tests are carried out to ascertain the value of Aluminum
Silicate contained in the Alum, when new supply of Alum is delivered into the
plant.
MAINTENANCE OF WATER TREATMENT
FACILITIES
Maintenance
of water treatment facilities in lower Usuma dam treatment plant is the sole
responsibility of the Estate and facilities manager who is charged with helping
to prolong the design life span of the facilities in the plant so as to protect
public health and the environment of the community the dam is sited. The
periodic maintenance of facilities is done quarterly this includes: washing the
walls of Clarifiers, Aerators, chemical loading tanks and Filters. Those done
every six months are washing the floor of the clarifiers, treated water tanks
and those reservoirs around the various Area Councils in Abuja. Other works are
the repairs of reported broken pipes, replacement of spare parts of pumps,
Chlorinators and equipment.
FINANCING, CHEMICAL PURCHASE
The
Federal Capital Territory water board is an agency of the Federal Capital
Territory Administration and do receive monthly subvention or running cost to
offset some of these responsibilities mentioned above. When the cost of a
particular work is above the monthly subvention such as chemical purchase,
replacement of faulty equipment and main trunk pipelines will need to go
through the procurement procedures.
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Suggestions to the improvement of maintenance of
water treatment facilities, is to ensure that those entrusted with the
responsibility of running the establishment should be prudent and sincere in
managing the mega resource at their disposal. Also to promptly bring to the
notice of the higher authorities on any
serious works which your subventions cannot cover and this should done on time
as to avoid disruption of water to the populace.
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
The Federal capital
territory has created consumer complaint offices in various area councils in
FCT and a central office in the head Office to coordinate and settle any issues
beyond the area offices.
Complains like not
having regular water supply, water supplied was contaminated with some
particles or color seen, problem of
billing system and complained that the billed does not reflect with the meter
reading installed.
During one of
the consumer-administration flora, where the minister of FCT was the guest, He
explained that the shortage of water supply was as a result of the overwhelming
influx of people into the FCT, thus creating an upsurge in the population of
the territory. He observed that the only water treatment plant
currently serving the territory is being over stretched.
And said for a
comprehensive approach to the problem the Administration is doing everything
humanly possible to ensure that Gurara dam is completed, so that there is
enough water about 8 times of what is available at the lower Usuma dam for
consumption by residents of the FCT. In addition the water treatment plant being
constructed to treat the raw water from Gurara dam, has its essential
components in place; the Chlorination Room, the Filtration, Rotors, Clarifiers
are all in place, the only missing component is the water pipe to convey raw
water from Gurara dam to the treatment plant that is at a 95% completion stage
and there is the
need to build more water treatment plants to increase the volume of water being
supplied to residents.
The FCT Water
Board has set up an interactive mechanism with its customers to tackle
their problems and ensure effective service deliver through interactive
sessions by buying air time in various radio stations and a bi-monthly Customers'
fora, an avenue for customers to make their views known to the board for
prompt action.
The
board had introduced a customized billing system for easy payment, so
that customers’ complaints would be addressed to avoid a
recurrence. The Chemical: Lime, Alum and Chlorine and including fuel
for powering the plant in time power outage are procure through the award of
contract by the FCT Administration.
WATER CHARGING
Traditionally,
water services have been regarded as one of governments many responsibilities
–it must be supplied regularly and free of charge. In some parts of the
country, inhabitants still do not understand why they must be made to pay for
this free gift from heaven. The development, distribution, and treatment of
water include costs for design, initial investments, and operation and
maintenance of the service. Putting a price to water is a reflection of water’s
economic value and it affects water use efficiency, it is a key way to improve
water allocation, discourage wastage, and improve conservation. However, the
current practice whereby State Water Corporations charge fixed rates for services
rendered only intermittently does not encourage consumers to pay. In most urban
areas, there is scarcely a household that does not have, or nurse the ambition
to have, an alternative source of domestic water supply by constructing a
hand-dug well or a borehole. State Water Agencies should consider the
introduction of water meters, particularly in urban centers, this simply act of
measuring consumption can help people control the actual amount of water they
use and/or waste, it is also a more accurate, equitable and just way for the
Water Agencies to commensurately get paid for services rendered. Although FCT
Water has installed water meters in most of the urban house as well as some
other area council and it has gone further to installed a prepaid water meters
in urban house, all these great strikes came with a lot of human and technical
challenges that seems to be making non- sense of the effort.
But now with
much larger communities requiring service, the only way to ensure that everyone
has access to this basic need is to ration it in some way. And perhaps the best
way to utilize water to the best and most-valued uses is to put a price on water,
and Construct appropriate tariff structures to meet different social, political
and economic goals in different situations.
The FCT Water
Board has different price charge for highbrow areas of the Federal capital city
(FCC) and other area such as satellite towns and commercial user. Thus using
cost price analysis method the cost of N300.00 was obtained while the subsidies
for these categories of places are: N120.00, N80.00, and N150.00 respectively.
SUGGESTIONS
FOR IMPROVEMENT
In order to achieve the goal of providing a portable
drinking water for the people of Federal capital of Abuja in an affordable rate
and still maintaining the different tariffs listed above, the authority must
cut down water wastages that are found during backwashing of filters by
repairing as soon as possible the recovering pumps which are responsible for
recycling this water are faulty. The corruption among the staff that go out on
field to compromise their duties during the distributing of bills and
disconnecting those consumers who are found to default in payment should be
punished as this action tarnish the image of the organization, as so many cases
were raised during one of the customer’ fora,
The authority should give special incentives like
welfare packages to its staff to encourage and boost their morale, this will
give them a sense of belonging and thereby reducing the corruptive tendencies
that they engaged themselves in, as this will go a long way in improving the revenue generation of the
establishment.
INAUGURATION AND INSTALLATION OF
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Total quality management (TQM) is a management
system which has been attracting the attention of North American companies
during the last decade.
This system is designed as an integrated,
customer-focused approach to improve the quality of an organization’s
processes, products and services. Despite the numerous attempts to incorporate
TQM in organizations, relatively little is known about its effectiveness and
optimal implementation strategies. Few systematic studies have been carried out
to evaluate TQM empirically, also, little theory exists to guide TQM implementation.
The overall purpose of the current article is to provide a better conceptual
basis on which to incorporate TQM into organizations and to guide future
research efforts. In doing so, a performance management system is described
which is designed to be compatible with total quality implementation.
COMMUNITY-MANAGED SYSTEM: THE WATER
USERS’ ASSOCIATION
OPTION
There
are several options for water supply management, ranking from the agency
managing it to the community owning and operating the system, with options in
between. Trends are currently to give the community more responsibilities as an
alternative to government management of water supply (Carter et al., 1999). A
water user’s association is one of the community-based possibilities, characterized
by the association being responsible for operation and maintenance financed
through member’s fees and bills, access to water services is reserved for
members only Cairncross,
1980). Cairncross et al. (1980) shows two advantages of this option: to
potentially avoid factionalism and to facilitate fees collection as members get
privileged towards non-members. They also point to the implicit exclusion of
part of the population, mainly the poorest households unable to afford the
prices.
The
option of water kiosks where members come to buy water have already been
implemented in other African countries and even in Kabong in Nigeria, most
often it has been
implanted in urban and peri-urban areas like those in satellite towns of Abuja
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
As
there is for the moment neither national water-drinking quality standards nor
guidelines in Nigeria (Ocholi, 2006) there is a need to find universal water
quality standards values. The “Guidelines for drinking-water quality” proposed
by the World Health Organizations set a complete list of parameter values which
“ensures an aesthetically pleasing water and does not result in any
significant risk to the health of the consumer” (WHO, 1985). These
values are internationally recognized because health issue oriented; however it
does not take into account the specific context of the country or area (WHO,
1985). In fact, concerning developing countries, these parameters need to be
adjusted, considering the cost of treatment involved, cost and availability of
water testing in the country.
Therefore, according to the WHO
approach, the following criteria were going to be
assessed
Water quantity
Water quality
Reliability of the water supply
Convenience of water points
Proportion of households using the facilities
Volume of water used and for what purposes.
The last two criteria are not known as there are no
figures in the organization, while the first two are known from the results obtained
in the laboratory of Lower Usuma Dam Treatment Plant (LUDWTP) as seen in
appendix E. In the case of the third point, the water is not enough to go round
at a time so it is been rationed.
A
snap-shot Semi-Structure Interview (SSI) of 26 community members was done to
collect a) data on use of public taps from random people. In all community
member interviews, level of wealth was determined by the type of house: thatch
huts, zinc roof and fenced house in ascending level of wealth. The way of
conducting interviews and asking question was adapted during the survey in
order to be clearly understood by the population and to fit the local
situation.
