Challenges to surface water quality in mid‐sized African cities: conclusions from Awetu‐Kito Rivers in Jimma, south‐west Ethiopia

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and industrialization, uncontrolled population growth, indiscriminate waste discharge and poor infrastructure are problems that African cities are facing. This paper describes an exemplary case study from Jimma, south-west Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted along the Awetu-Kito drainage system in Jimma town to assess the level of pollution from urban dwellers and related activities. The study indicates that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) norms for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO) and orthophosphates are not met downstream of the major industrial and institutional activities. Small-scale industries, Jimma University and residential areas contributed 50, 15 and 23% pollution load on the river, respectively. It can be concluded that the pollution effect in Jimma town is mainly as a result of the growing (uncontrolled) industrial activities and not to discharge of household wastewater. Given the same trends of urbanization and population growth, similar development (socioeconomic) indicators and similar climatic conditions, the key findings for Jimma are transferable to other mid-sized African cities.

Water quality and its interlinkages with the Sustainable Development Goals

“…Consistency between water quality target (e.g. Haddis et al 2014;Donifiro et al 2009) and the following: Targets 11.1 ("upgrade slums"), 11.2 ("expanding public transport") 11.3 ("enhance … sustainable urbanization"). Target 11.5 (reducing the number of deaths and number of people affected by water-related disasters") assuming this includes.…”

Diatom community structure in relation to environmental factors in human influenced rivers and streams in tropical Africa

“…Contrarily, precipitation-induced surface runoff could introduce different pollutants to the nearly available water sources [ 26 ]. Pollutants amount in the receiving water sources could even rise in areas where poor agricultural practices and improper urban waste management activities are prevalent [ 30 , 31 ]. These high-level factors (season and human influence) in turn affect proximate factors, e.g.…”

“…Pollution of surface water sources by agricultural runoff loaded with agrochemicals and sediment worsens during the rainy season in particular [ 30 ]. Additionally, untreated urban wastes (mainly from Jimma town) that contain high organic matter and nutrients are being continuously discharged into these aquatic systems [ 31 ]. Because of these factors, the physicochemical water quality and assemblage of different aquatic organisms have been altered in the watershed [ 5 , 30 , 31 , 35 ].…”

An assessment of the physicochemical properties and toxicity potential of carwash effluents from professional carwash outlets in Gauteng Province, South Africa

“…Freshwater is a finite resource whose availability in sufficient quantities and quality is key to sustainable development (Haddis et al 2014). South Africa is a relatively water scarce country whose available freshwater resources are further threatened by pollution emanating from discharge of inadequately treated industrial and municipal effluents into freshwater courses (Ilemobade et al 2009).…”