The regular bursting of PVC pipes exposed by land erosion has been a great worry to consumers and water distribution companies. This work therefore, focuses on the use of multi-objective decision-making approach to choose alternative material that is non-toxic, corrosion resistant, cheap, UV radiations resistant and tough. Initial screening of the materials universe was done by using a set of non-negotiable requirements in CES EduPack software (Version 12.2.13). Performance equation and materials index were derived for a cylindrical pipe subjected to both internal and external pressure using a set of objectives and constraints. The index was plotted on a chart of fracture toughness against yield strength which returned six candidate materials. Digital logic method was then used to rank the candidate materials for the water pipe and the results showed that poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET) had the highest weighted property index followed by polyvinyl chloride blend (ASA/PVC (unfilled)), with the least being polyethylene ultra-high molecular weight (PE-UHMW). Employing stiffness and density criteria, ASA/PVC (unfilled) is the most suitable material for water pipe application in tropical environment.

Colorimetric technique is very effective and efficient, as far as laboratory and field measurement of concentration and density of solutions are concerned. The device used in colorimetric analysis is a colorimeter. It works on the principle of light absorbance and transmittance as described by Beer-Lambert’s Law. This work considers a home-built (DAK-300) colorimeter and an educational (IO Rodeo) colorimeter. Previously, after evaluating the DAK-300 colorimeter in comparison to the IO Rodeo colorimeter, the results obtained showed that the DAK-300 colorimeter was not reading accurately. The reasons for the inaccuracy were found to be short-circuiting of the internal wiring, photo sensor interruptions, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) instability and disconnected wires. Through soldering, gluing, connecting and fixing of the internal flaws, the results obtained were comparable to that of the IO Rodeo colorimeter. The accurate result was attained through a free chlorine determination experiment using N, N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD) as the coloring reagent which gave an error of 0.0004M. A graphic user interface (GUI) was developed to enhance the easy usage of the DAK-300 colorimeter. As part of the applications, a strategy for determining the presence and concentration of 2-Naphthol in palm oil products was formulated and experimented. 2-Naphthol is a carcinogenic compound that forms the base for all Sudan dyes. Furthermore, a manual and a website were generated to provide explanation, guidance, examples and other information in using the homebuilt colorimeter. In conclusion, the DAK-300 colorimeter can be used for quick lab or field measurements of concentration with high reliability, accuracy and precision.