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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study 

Water has been identified to be very important to human existence because it is very necessary for survival. Water ranked second to oxygen. A reliable supply of clean wholesome water is crucial in an attempt to promote healthy living amongst the inhabitants of a well defined geographical region (Mustapha and Adam, 1999). In an attempt to proffer solution to water problem, it was estimated that 1.2 billion people around the world does not have access to clean safe water and about 2.5 billion people are not provided with adequate sanitation (Third World Water Forum, 2019).

Majority of the affected people that lack access to clean safe water and adequate sanitation are located in the developing countries because the standard industrialized global model for safe water delivery and sanitation technology is not affordable (Gadgil and Derby, 2019). Narrowing down to Nigeria, the supply or provision of public drinking water is not reliable (Egwari and Aboaba, 2018). As a result, this has adversely affected the good health of Nigerians most especially during the dry season (Adesunkanmi and Ajao, 2019). In Nigeria, ground water and pipe borne (tap) water are the major sources of drinking water. These sources are said to be unsafe sources of drinking water because findings indicated that ground water sources contain trace elements, dissolved solids and pathogens in excessive quantities that may be dangerous to the health of the people.

Consequently, most of the investigations carried out on ground water samples from different parts of Nigeria revealed that most of the available sources of water or water types are polluted or contaminated hence, were not fit for drinking purpose (Ogunbanjo, 2004 and Tijani, 2003) cited in Olaposi (2019) unpublished PhD Thesis. In addition, physical assessment of many public supplied pipe-borne water samples also testified to their poor quality. The achievement or realization of the renewed global Commitments toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 required the development of locally sourced alternative low cost drinking water schemes that will provide sustainable access to safe drinking water in both rural and urban settings (areas) in developing countries (UNDESA, 2018).

An example of locally developed alternative of safe water provision in Nigeria is the drinking water sold in polythene sachets and plastic bottles. In carrying out this business, some small and medium scale enterprises use various production techniques and technologies to purify and package water Afro Asian Journal of Social Sciences Volume 3, No. 3.4 Quarter IV 2012 ISSN: 2229 – 5313 3 sourced from springs, bore holes and public water main or points in sachets and plastic bottles that are sealed electrically.

A sachet contains 50cl and a medium plastic bottle contains 75cl while the big plastic bottle contains 1 litre of water. The products are popularly known as pure water and bottled water. Many small and medium scale enterprises are now set up with each of them producing a particular brand hence, the availability of several brands of these types of packaged water in Nigeria and other developing Countries (Ogan, 2018; and Kasenga, 2017).

Pure water factories were established for the purpose of making profits by the provider or owners of the enterprise. To this end, water in sachets are readily available at affordable prices but, the concern is the nature of its wholesomeness, the integrity of the hygienic environment and the conditions of the places where majority of the sachet and bottled water are produced (Dada, 2009). However, there are traces of outbreak of water borne diseases that has been linked with the consumption of polluted water in sachets in the past even though there is no national evidence (Dada, 2009). To protect the individual and maintain good health for the people, the Nigerian Government set up National Agency for 

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