© 2022, WAJES All Rights Reserved 21 World Academics Journal of ___________________________________________ Research Paper. Engineering Sciences Vol.9, Issue.3, pp.21-37, September (2022) E-ISSN: 2348-635X Water Treatment Operations: Case Study of Mada Water Works Abdulhalim Musa Abubakar 1* , Yahuza Adamu Mazawaje 2 , Muraina Basiru Olayinka 3 , Ehime Irene Itamah 4 , Okoh Chibuike Francis 5 , Usman Yakubu Bukar 6 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Modibbo Adama University (MAU), PMB 2076, Girei LGA of Adamawa State, Nigeria 2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), Akwanga-Keffi Road, PMB 1022, Nasarawa State, Nigeria 3 Department of Water Resources and Agro-meteorology, College of Environmental Resources and Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), PMB 2240, Ogun State, Nigeria 4 Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Daura, P.M.B 1049, Daura, Katsina State, Nigeria 5 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, PMB 1515, Rivers State, Nigeria 6 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Borno State, Nigeria *Corresponding Author: abdulhalim@mautech.edu.ng, Tel.: +2347050244277 Available online at: www.isroset.org Received: 18/Jul/2022, Accepted: 24/Aug/2022, Online: 30/Sept/2022 Abstract – Design and working principles of water treatment plants in other parts of the world, as well as in Nigeria are different and requires extensive study. This work looks at current trends undergone in water treatment plants in contrast with the one obtainable at Mada Water Works (MWW) in North Central, Nigeria. Because, majority of these plants including the MWW apply obsolete techniques and equipment, as they were built in the early 1980s and 1990s. Previous research only looks at metallic contamination levels of the Mada River which serve MWW with unclean raw water. Hence, this work entails an in-depth study of the plant’s modus operandi, challenges faced and ways of solving them. Studies shows that the entire treatment plant needs a complete turnaround to prevent it from eminent system collapse. The attention of researchers is therefore drawn to the treatment plant’s various unit operation in order to address challenges facing their functionality. Keywords: Mada River, Water treatment, Surface water, Scraper bridges, Nasarawa I. INTRODUCTION Mada Water Works (MWW) or Treatment Plant is situated in Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa state in Nigeria. The state is located between latitude 7 o 58’36’’N and longitude 7 o 58’19’’E [1]. The water works at latitudes 08° 49’’ – 08° 52” and longitude 07 o 51” – 07 o 56”, treats surface water from Mada River, which gain its source from Jos Plateau where its major tributaries are Kogin Daji, Azuta, Rivers Katari, Kyeruku, Ekoalio, among others [2]–[5]. It was built in the year 1995 by S.C.C Nigeria Limited in collaboration with companies in Germany, Italy and France, and became operational in the year 1996 [6]. The water works (the largest supply scheme in the state) was constructed to serve a population of 250,000 people based on its design capacity to generate 53000 m 3 /day of water (≅ 10 million gal/day) and supply Keffi, Akwanga, Army Barracks, Gudi, Gunduma, Sabon Gida and Garaku, spanning two zones of Nasarawa-West and Nasarawa-North on 4 major roads of Lafia-Akwanga, Akwanga-Wamba, Akwanga-Jos and Akwanga-Keffi with treated water [4], [7]. Presently, the water works could hardly produce more than half of this capacity. As of 2016, Blytheweigh (2021) reported a population equivalent to 85,911 people in Keffi, 27,137 in Wamba, 30,949 in Nasarawa and 15,985 in Akwanga, which is cumulatively 159,977 people or consumers. The plant had in it, engineering structures and buildings; some of which are chemical building, filtration unit, pumping station, balancing tank or clear water tank, fuel depot, mechanical workshop, power station, flash mixing chamber and clarifiers or sedimentation basins. For effective operation of the treatment facilities, services of skilled and unskilled personnel are employed. The plant management oversees the overall operation and running of the plants including water quality control, plant operation spanning all the treatment units and takes delivery of water treatment chemicals supplied by government on routine basis. The task on the top management of producing treated river water is aided by pump operators, cleaners, chemical operators, laboratory assistants, security watchmen, filter mates, mechanical and electronic engineers.