Availability Analysis of Chemicals for Water Treatment: An Application to Edo and Anambra State Water Utilities Boards

Abstract

In most countries, chemicals are generally recognized as being vital in the production of potable water and will normally be required in large quantities in water treatment facilitates. Although some developing countries have local chemical production capabilities, the majority of them still have to import the chemicals from industrialized countries. This paper considers the shipment of regular supplies of large quantities of chemicals used in treating water to potable standard in a developing country. A model to reduce the shortage of chemicals for water treatment while minimizing the direct costs of supplying the chemicals for water treatment while minimizing the direct costs of supplying the contractors or manufacturers is represented as a network composed of interconnected geographical regions. Edo and Anambra States are used as case studies. Objectives are achieved considering the uncertainty in future supply of chemicals for water treatment in Nigeria. The time horizon of the model is between 1 and 5 years. Estimates of future demands and supplies of chemicals and the associated costs are used as endogenous and exogenous parameters in the model. The model should assist water utility decision makers during current and subsequent periods in order to determine an optimal policy for uninterrupted supply of chemicals required at the treatment plants at minimum cost.