Disparities in access to public water supply in Greater Yola, Adamawa State Nigeria: Implications for urban development

This paper aimed at investigating factors determining disparities in sustainable water supply in the greater Yola region of Adamawa State Nigeria with the view to suggesting physical planning recommendations that will enhance sustainable water supply. The study employed a two staged sampling procedure for the investigation. First, the study area was divided into three clusters based on physical planning characteristics with three residential areas selected randomly from each of the three clusters. Secondly, a systematic random sampling procedure was employed to administer 312 questionnaires, amounting to 7 percent, to the households in the selected residential districts. Chi square analysis revealed significant variations in terms of the sources of water supply (x2- 189.6188, P- 0.000).Only those residing in the formal private residential areas are able to consume the recommended WHO standard which is 70 liters per capita per day. The government owner occupier (53.6l/c/d) and the peri-urban areas (38.7 l /c /d) fall short of recommended standards. Analysis of variance also shows differences in quantity of water consumed (F=3.658, P=0.41). However, 85% percent of the population lives within the prescribed limits of proximity to water supply sources. The study recommended that physical planning authorities work in conjunction with the water board corporations in adopting physical planning standards to ensure communities are supplied with potable water, within accessible distances, to promote public health, and designing of masterplans that will incorporate, within the limits of physical planning, the water supply needs of urban dwellers to sustainable public water supply.