ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT OF WATER TREATMENT METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN OGUN STATE, SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Water and sanitation are important determinant of public health and there is a need to evaluate it. Method used was a descriptive qualitative assessment of sanitation and water handling practices in some rural areas of Ogun State Nigeria was conducted. Results: The results obtained showed that about 30% do not have toilet facility while 55.6% had pit latrine. Only 20.8% had a closed dustbin, open dustbin (37.2%) while 42.0% had none. Refuse-dumps (42.0%), nearby gullies (3.6%), backyard (9.2%), streams (2.0%) and nearby bush (47.2%) were used for disposal. Domestic animals kept in the household included dog (49.2%), poultry (24.8%), goat (15.2%), cat (15.2%) pig (2.0%) and cattle (4.4%) Households’ vector of infectious diseases indicated rats (69.6%) and cockroaches (78.8%). Sanitation level in rural household is still very far from attaining the millennium development goals (MDGs) and the knowledge of point-of-use water treatment is actually different from practice.

Keywords: Sanitation, Waste Disposal, Household Vector, Water Handling, Household Treatment, Perception on Water