Integrated Water Supply Assessment and Planning for Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria: A Review of Challenges, Opportunities and Sustainable Development Pathways

Access to safe drinking water remains a major existing hydropower and environmental studies provide a challenge in many Nigerian towns despite the country's strong foundation for future planning. This review evaluates existing water abundant water resources. Auchi, a rapidly growing urban centre in Edo State, depends largely on private sources in Auchi and examines the potential of the Orle River as a sustainable municipal water source. Available studies indicate that uncoordinated borehole development has increased the risks of microbial contamination and elevated iron and manganese concentrations. Although sachet water and tanker services supplement supply, concerns regarding quality, affordability, and long-term sustainability persist. Preliminary hydrological and environmental investigations undertaken on the Orle River for hydropower development have provided baseline information on river discharge, reservoir feasibility, and environmental conditions. These studies reported an average river flow of approximately 19.24 m³/s and identified favourable conditions for multipurpose reservoir development. Despite these findings, important gaps remain in reservoir-yield optimization for potable water supply, water-demand forecasting, treatment design, EPANET-based distribution modelling, GIS-supported infrastructure planning, water-quality monitoring, and governance. This review synthesizes existing knowledge and proposes an integrated framework encompassing hydrological assessment, reservoir development, water treatment, hydraulic network design, environmental management, and institutional sustainability. The study concludes that a reservoir-based municipal water-supply scheme utilizing the Orle River represents the most viable long- term option for achieving water security in Auchi, while existing hydropower and environmental studies provide a strong foundation for future planning.