ABSTRACT
This study assesses the operational management and efficiency of water supply schemes in Kaduna State using a performance indicator called "Service Standard Performance Metrics (SPEM)"and SWOT analysis. The three water treatment plants in Kaduna metropolis were visited. Detailed evaluations were carried out for the schemes using some aspects of technical, financial, human resources and institutional performance indicators. The benchmarking approach was used for the evaluation of the service delivery performance and the results obtained for the performance were compared with other developed countries. The results clearly show that unaccounted for water, billing efficiency and cash operating ratio are still the major problem of these schemes. Averagely, the service coverage for the entire state is 27%, which is very low and the average service coverage for the Kaduna metropolis is 71%. The average unaccounted for water for the entire state is 47% and 52% for the three schemes in the Kaduna metropolis. This indicates that more than 40% of the water treated is being lost either through illegal connection or through pipe burst. The duration of supply is less than 24hrs. The cost recovery for the metropolis is 22% at N21/m3 as against production cost of N93.50/m3. Involvement of the private sector participation was suggested in the study for effective performance of the service delivery.