Assessing the efficiencies of domestic water pumps and distribution systems for household water supply in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Water scarcity and supply fluctuation are experienced in high-rise buildings in the study area.This study becomes a necessity to find out the challenges of water supply to high-rise buildings in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State.Factors extensively accessed are the pumping and distribution systems that convey fresh water from the source to the high-rise buildings.Twenty (20) highrise buildings with fifty-eight (58) blocks of flats were considered.The buildings that were assessed use centrifugal pumps to convey water from the source.The hydraulic efficiencies of the 20 centrifugal pumps of three manufacturers and piping systems were analyzed.The study revealed a significant disparity between the high-water demand and the insufficient supply in the studied area.Additionally, a significant decrease in the water supply to households is observed in most of the high-rise buildings in the research region that use water pumps.The hydraulic efficiencies of the pump were seen to vary between 4.787 and 58.996 percent.However, among the 20 pumps assessed, only one pump was within the typical efficiency of 55% for most centrifugal pumps.Additionally, data obtained on pump operating parameters such as power, voltage, head, and so on showed a slight variation in these parameters compared to what is available on the pump nameplate.On the piping system, improper connections and leakage were observed.It was concluded that the operating parameters of the pumps and the irregular piping system, among others, were the influencing factors in the hydraulic efficiency of the pumps.