Assessment of public water distribution using geographic information system in Yola, Nigeria

Abstract

Public water supply is capital intensive and requires a significant investment, effective management and public participation. The task is most challenging in developing countries with lower income, where less attention is given to provision of infrastructure and inefficient management of the system is ever present. However, the issue of inadequacy of water supply and ineffective distribution system in most of the cities in developing countries has been compounded by rapid increase in population. This research focuses on assessment of public water distribution in Yola, Nigeria using geographic information system (GIS). It is aimed at analyzing water distribution system in Yola with a view to optimize the distribution. The study considers elevation, population density and availability of space as well as centrality within the densely populated areas as criteria for the analysis. Five different datasets were used for the study; street data, existing pipeline network, parcels (open spaces), elevation and population data. Yola geodatabase is the source of spatial data generated using ArcGIS 10.2.1. The existing water distribution network was digitized on the street map to define the areas covered by the network; digital elevation model (DEM) was also generated using ArcGIS 10.2.1 to visualize the topography of the study area. A suitability model with elevations, available spaces and population density as inputs, was developed to determine suitable locations for reservoirs in order to ensure smooth flow from the reservoirs to consumers under gravity. Shortfall in water supply for Yola was also determined by computing water supply deficiency for each administrative ward within the study area. Findings from the study provided three alternatives and the first alternative with three reservoirs is considered the most suitable. Reservoir locations in the first alternative were determined based on the top most level of the set criteria, to ensure total coverage of the study area. This study concluded that suitability analysis using spatial analyst extension provides suitable location for reservoirs to ensure optimal water distribution system.