This study assessed the water and sanitation conditions in Benue South Senatorial District, Benue State, Nigeria, with the aim of evaluating water quality, sanitation facility availability, and community awareness of the health impacts of open defecation. A cross-sectional research design was employed to capture a comprehensive snapshot of the prevailing conditions across five Local Government Areas (Ado, Apa, Ogbadibo, Oju, and Otukpo). A stratified sampling technique was used to select 385 respondents, guided by Krejcie and Morgan’s (1973) sampling table, ensuring representation of adult males, females, and youths. Data collection encompassed both qualitative and quantitative methods to assess water sources, storage practices, sanitation facilities, and hygiene behaviors. Findings indicate that households face significant challenges in accessing safe water, with microbial contamination risks rising from source to household storage. Sanitation facilities are often inadequate or poorly maintained, and awareness of open defecation hazards, while higher in urban areas, remains limited in rural communities. The study highlights inequities in water and sanitation access linked to socio-economic status and settlement type. Addressing these gaps requires integrated interventions combining infrastructure improvements, behavior change communication, and strengthened institutional WASH capacity. Recommended measures include scaling up community-led total sanitation programs, deploying water safety plans for piped and high-use sources, providing point-of-use water treatment and safe storage kits, upgrading WASH in schools and health facilities, professionalizing small-town water scheme management, establishing ward-level monitoring dashboards, and mainstreaming gender-sensitive approaches to ensure safe, private sanitation. Implementing these strategies can advance progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 while delivering immediate public health, educational, and productivity benefits for communities in Benue South.
Eche et al. (Sat,) studied this question.