Int J Environ Sci Nat Res 26(1): IJESNR.MS.ID.556177 (2020) 0010 Abstract The provision of sustainable water supply systems in rural communities in developing countries like Nigeria has been a challenge for several years, thereby promoting the dependency of rural dwellers on polluted surface water sources. This has also promoted water disparities between rural and urban areas, as well as developing and developed countries. In a bid to proffer solutions to this public health challenge, there is need to routinely assess the systems available in our rural communities. This cross-sectional survey assessed the water facilities available in four(4) randomly selected villages across Ayeedade Local Government Area, Osun State. Grab water samples were collected from the main water source in each community and assessed for physico-chemical properties using standard methods. The Sanitary Inspector for the Local Government was also interviewed to obtain insights about the modalities of the water supply system present in the area. All the villages surveyed had at least two handpump boreholes present. All the boreholes were in functional condition. The water facilities in all the communities were constructed in 2011 via collaboration between the Government of Nigeria and UNICEF under the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme (WSSRP)-II. The facilities were routinely maintained by technicians from the Local Government. All the physico-chemical parameters such as nitrate, nitrite chromium, iron and manganese were within the WHO drinking water quality guidelines. However, the pH across the communities was slightly acidic, with an average of 6.06±0.08, while the lead levels exceeded the permissible limits for two(2) of the surveyed communities. The presence of functional water systems in all the villages was meritorious. Perhaps, more commendable because of the Local Government’s commitment to routinely maintaining the facilities, this ensured the projects were sustainable. The pH levels and heavy metal concentrations of the water sources need to be monitored. Keywords: Rural water supply; Water quality; Villages; Disparity; Sustainable water supply Assessment of Rural Water Supply in Selected Communities in Osun State, Nigeria Research Article Volume 26 Issue 1 - September 2020 DOI: 10.19080/IJESNR.2020.26.556177 Int J Environ Sci Nat Res Copyright © All rights are reserved by Ojima Z Wada David B Olawade 1 , Ojima Z Wada 1 *, Temitope D Afolalu 2 , Tolu C Oladipo 3 and Omotayo Asogbon 1 1 Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Ibadan, Nigeria 2 Department of Nursing, Afe Babalola University, Nigeria 3 Department of Medicine and Surgery, Afe Babalola University, Nigeria Submission: September 09, 2020; Published: September 21, 2020 *Corresponding author: Ojima Z Wada, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Introduction Over the years, the challenge of accessibility and availability of safe water is yet to be curtailed in the nooks and crannies of many nations despite all measures and schemes. Although, studies have shown that there have been drastic improvements overtime. Reports from WHO and UNICEF proves that Nigeria and many sub-Saharan African countries are significantly lagging behind when compared to developing countries with regards to overall accessibility to potable water and basic sanitation services [1,2]. For many rural communities in developing countries, unreliable access to safe drinking water remains a large and growing concern [3]. In sub-Saharan African countries, sustainability of rural water supply systems (WSSs) is an acute problem mainly due to widespread of water infrastructural decay and frequent system breakdowns which inadvertently lead to scarcity of safe water in the region [4]. In Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, lack of resources and capacity constrains preventive maintenance and exacerbates WSS failures [5]. In Nigeria, during the post-independent era, governments provided water infrastructure and assumed the sole responsibility for water services delivery to the rural population [6]. However, due to the reduced political-will and lack of a sustainable water supply system in place, a significant number of rural communities have been grossly affected [7]. Unfortunately, government and donor agencies have not been able to find a lasting solution to the challenges of poor and unsustainable service delivery in the rural water sector in the country [8]. Ezenwaji et al. [9] recently reported that millions of populaces in the country, particularly in the rural areas, still depended on unimproved drinking water sources such as streams and rivers for their domestic use. The challenge of scarcity of safe water left many water users in rural communities with no other choice but to depend on surface water to meet their water needs [3]. In finding