Water is an essential component of life
occupying about 70% of the earth’s surface. It contains minerals extremely
important in human nutrition and
is very essential for sustaining life (CIA, 2008). According to Pidwirny (2001), the total
volume of water on earth is estimated to be 1.409x1010 cubic
kilometres with 97.25% forming the ocean, 2.05% as glaciers, 0.68% as
groundwater 0.01% in lakes, 0.005% as soil moisture, 0.0001% in the atmosphere, 0.0001% in rivers and
0.0004% in the biosphere.
Access
to safe drinking water is key to sustainable development and essential to food
production, quality health and poverty reduction (Adekunle et al., 2004). Safe
drinking water is essential to life and a satisfactory safe supply must be made
available to consumers (Kalwale et al.,
2012). A reliable supply of clean wholesome water is
highly essential in a bid to promoting healthy living among the inhabitants of
a defined geographical region. (Mustapha and Adamu 1991). Larson and Gnedenko (1999) asserted that the supply of safe drinking
water is considered to have a significant impact on the prevention
of transmissible water-borne diseases.