Two thirds of boreholes for rural water supply in Abuja, not functional

About two-thirds (65%) of boreholes for rural water supply in Abuja municipal area are not functional. This is the highlight of a study recently conducted by the Bank of Industry in conjunction with WASHMATA Initiatives ‘Water for all’ project on the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of water supply systems.

The study conducted in 34 communities and 10 wards in Abuja Municipality Area Council wards in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeriaa examined the relationship between village-level operation and maintenance and the sustainability of existing water supply infrastructure. Data about key indices of 103 water points, their users and the sanitary features were collected using questionnaires, water facility assessments and observational checklists.

The findings of the survey are:

• Low functionality of Water systems: About two-thirds (65%) of the 103 sighted facilities were non-functional at the time of the survey. 76% were handpump boreholes and 63% were motorized pumps
• Gender disparity in water user communities: The education and large youth and female proportion in the water user communities suggests a wealth of knowledge and skills, which can contribute to sustainability; if the appropriate training and empowerment are provided. A huge gender disparity was observed between the males and females at all educational levels, with a 10:1 male-to-female ratio at tertiary levels.
• Low availability when needed: There was low availability as over two-thirds of the water points were not functional during the survey. The majority of the functional ones were available all year round.
• Pro-poor and Inclusiveness – Most (98%) water facilities were not disability friendly. There were no special arrangements for people with a disability or the poor to access water from two-thirds of the facilities.
• Low Female Participation in WASH management – There was a reported low participation of females in facility management. For example, two-thirds of water management committees lacked any female representation. The water schemes without female representation were two times more likely to be non-functional than those that had female representation
• Compliance with Pollution guidelines: Most water sources complied with the sector guidance on pollution control concerning toilets. Just 12% had pollution sources, including refuse dumps, open drainage, and animal dumps.
• Poor sustainability  of WASH facilities: One-third of the communities had between 4 and 8 water facilities. However, there was a high incidence of non-functionality ranging from 0 – 7 non-functional schemes per community
• Varied Power Sources: The motorized boreholes were powered mainly by generators (59%) and solar (5%), whilst a minimal 5% depended on public electricity
• Life span: About half (52.7%) of the facilities that were non-functional at the time of the survey had been utilized for between 4 to 10 years. One-third of the facilities that were non-functional at the time of the survey had functioned for less than one year. One-third of the facilities that were non-functional at the time of the survey had functioned for less than one year or never functioned at all.
• Response Time: The facilities had broken down for a period ranging from two months to 15 years before the study; almost a quarter (22.3%) of the broken-down water points were never repaired after they became non-functional.
• Integration: Low level of integration of the Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) components into the water services delivery method used
• Cost of water access: The users of the communal water facilities paid more when they purchased water from other sources. Water vendors were the most common alternate source for most (86%).
• Willingness to pay: Half of the respondents were willing to pay to keep the facilities functioning, though the amount they proposed would be inadequate for operation and maintenance.
• Value for money: it was cheaper to rehabilitate broken-down water points than to replace them with new water points. There was a 97.6% decrease in costs when the motorized were rehabilitated instead of replaced with new ones.