The design of a water quality management system for Nigerian rivers

There is an intricate relationship between waterquantity and quality, development, human health andwelfare, and aquatic life.Water availability is, however, variable inlocation and time. The increase in human populations andvarious anthropogenic activities have exertedsignificant impacts on the quantity and quality offrashwater resources.Nigeria is a rapidly developing country with apopulation of 88.5 million. About 70% of the ruralpopulation have no access to potable water. There are nodata on access to sanitation facilities. The pace ofindustrial development in Nigeria has been withoutadequate environmental considerations.The need was, consequently, identified to assesswater resources in Nigeria, determine the causes andsources of water pollution, and design a water qualitymanagement system for Nigerian rivers.Before such a system could be designed, it wasnecessary to study in depth the administrative,operational and legislative framework of an existing functional organisation. The National Rivers Authority,in the north west region of England, was chosen as sucha model.The research started with a detailed survey ofliterature on water pollution, its nature, sources,types, modes of propagation, effects, means ofdetection, enumeration and control.A thorough assessment of the functions andinstitutional framework of the National Rivers Authoritywhich enable it to manage river water quality in thenorth west of England was carried out. A comparativeassessment was made, of water resources and the currentstatus and practice of water quality management inNigeria.The research culminated in the design of a waterquality management system for Nigerian rivers. Thedesign took into consideration the political andcultural orientations, and the level of industrialisationof the country.Recommendations were made, which if adopted, willensure the sustainable use of rivers in Nigeria