Practices and Barriers of Water Use Efficiency in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

The fast rate of population growth and increased urbanisation has exacerbated the domestic water supply problem in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Nigeria.  This study examines water use efficiency practices and the barriers inhibiting it among residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria using appropriated standard techniques. Data obtained shows that about 70% of respondents say they turn off the public tap whenever they see water dripping from them unattended, more than 50% admit to being agents advocating water use efficiency in their communities and more than 40% consider water-saving appliances when they make purchases of domestic appliances. The inhibitors to water- use efficiency in the study area, include a poor grasp of sustainability principles and cultural beliefs that promotes the idea of inexhaustible water resources; lifestyles that do not promote water use efficiency; and the inclination to only use water  efficiently when it in short supply or when the price of water rises. Residents of the Federal Capital Territory should be made to understand their roles in efficient use of water and embrace sustainable water use.