COVID-19 AND THE INTENSITY OF WATER USE AMONG HOUSEHOLDS IN JOS NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined household water use intensity in the face of the current fight against COVID-19 among residents of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. The study used both primary and secondary data. Structured questionnaire was administered on 180 household heads systematically across the selected four wards in Jos Town. While secondary data were extracted from maps and published materials. Descriptive analytical technique was applied in the study. The study revealed that 51.7% used above 51ltr/capita/day of water during COVID-19 and 48.9% used between 21-30ltrs/capita/day before the pandemic. There was a marked increase in water use among households in the area during COVID-19 pandemic as against the usage before COVID-19 outbreaks. The study also showed that major water use areas with higher intensity are hand washing, bathing and cloth washing with use for cooking, gardening and mopping increasing very slightly. Majority of households depended on well (53.3%), bore hole (19.4%) while 17.8% of the respondents relied on pipe borne water source. The study concluded that due to the fixity of water supply capacity in the area and with the increased water use in the face of the lingering pandemic, water supply capacity should be scaled up through the State Water Agency to supply more potable water to the residents in the area.