Water Withdrawal Trends, Cost and Uses in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

Water is an essential component of life. Globally, there is a drawback in its availability and this is increasing and duplicating itself thereby intensifying the struggle for scarce water resources. This study assessed the water resource availability, access, water withdrawal trends, and presents the outcome of a survey of water use pattern in a semi-urban settlement in Southwest Nigeria. The study employed the use of a detailed questionnaire and oral interview for the collection of data. The water use pattern extends to various water consumers such as residential, institutional, commercial and industrial. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that 70% of the settlement depend on groundwater alone, while 30% on surface water. The findings in the study revealed that the rate of patronizing commercial water seller is very high compared to the government approved tariff rate of 66.7% price margin, and there is an increasing demand on water from the various settlements considered. The outcome will enable better investment and management decisions in water withdrawal and usage in the near future as this must be based on estimates of future needs and the available resource potentials