The dynamics of household water security and treatment practices: a population-based, cross-sectional study in Osun State, Southwest Nigeria

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 195; no. 1; p. 138
• Main Authors: Aluko, Olufemi O., Oloruntoba, Elizabeth O., Ana, Godson R. E. E., Afolabi, Olusegun T., Okon, Aniekanabasi J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.01.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Boreholes; Chlorination; Cross-sectional studies; Data collection; Drinking water; Dug wells; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Environmental science; Gender; Households; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Population studies; Population-based studies; Quality of life; Sampling techniques; Security; Statistical methods; Water pumps; Water quality; Water resources; Water scarcity; Water security; Water sources; Water supply; Water treatment; Nigeria; Water treatment; Water security; Osun state; Nigeria; Sustainable development
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10682-9
• ISSN: 0167-6369

A minimum of basic water supply service is pertinent to improving living standards and water-dependent quality of life indices. In Nigeria, 14% have access to safely managed drinking water services, though approximately 30% of water pumps and schemes are likely to fail within 12 months of construction. This study aims to determine household water security and its predictors in Osun State, Nigeria. The cross-sectional study recruited 548 households through a five-stage sampling technique and used a semi-structured questionnaire for data collection. Results were presented by descriptive and inferential statistics, while binary logistic regression identified water-security predictors at P ά 0.05. Hand-dug wells (27.7%) and motorized boreholes (21.2%) were the predominant household drinking water sources. A total of 43.7% of households were water-secured while 35.2% of water sources were within residential settlements. A total of 25.1% of households experienced water scarcity, and 27.2% of households treat drinking water mainly by chlorination (56.7%) and boiling (14.7%). A total of 21.2%, 64.2%, and 9% of households, respectively, have safely managed basic and limited water supply services. Drinking water sources were associated with house ownership ( p  = 0.001) and residence period ( p  = 0.025) while water treatment was associated with gender ( p  = 0.010) and wealth ( p  = 0.0001). Age ( p  = 0.002) and wealth ( p  = 0.0001) are predictors of household water security. Two-fifths of households were water-secured, highlighting the dearth of potable water supply services and the need to incorporate strategic predictors of household water security in the existing national and state-level water resources regulations.