As the Lagos celebrates World Water Day, LSWC outlines plans, challenges
By Tunde Alao
HARDLY would any resident of Lagos State deny that indeed, it is a 'state of aquatic splendour.'
There are the splendid shoreline and the creeks and waterways that the state is famous for, to justify the name.
Expectations, however, that such natural endowment should translate into abundant supply of potable water for domestic, commercial and industrial uses have not been fully met, at least, so far.
That has not been for lack of efforts by the present as well as previous governments in the state, since there have been many projects executed in the past and more still to come aimed at meeting the water needs of Lagosians.
As the world yesterday celebrated "Water Day", the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC), reeled out its plan to meet the water needs of residents in the state.
From the perspective of this year's World Water Day's theme, "Sharing Water, Sharing Experience", the LSWC Group Managing Director, Mr. Shayo Holloway, while outlining plans to achieve the goal of providing water for all Lagosians, also listed the challenges.
His conclusion was that the goal is achievable.
He told The Guardian four major projects are currently under execution.
These include the establishment of a dedicated Independent Power Plant meant to boost power supply to the Adiyan-Iju Water Works, which is the major source of water supply in the state.
"Currently, the Adiyan-Iju Water Works produces 115 million gallons daily (MGD), but can only pump 30 percent for public consumption as a result of irregular power supply.
That is a situation that warranted the establishment of dedicated power project. "After the completion of the power project, water would be pumped for at least, 20 hours daily, instead of the current four or six hours.
The IPP project has a design capacity of 12.15 mega watts and is expected to be completed by May, 2009."
The LSWC boss noted that apart from the Adiyan and Iju Water Works, there is 44 other mini-water works located across the state with a capacity of between one million to 2.4 million gallons of water per day.
"There is the Ishashi Water Works, established in 1976 for the purpose of "FESTAC 77"organized by the Nigerian government, and which currently produces four million gallons daily."
However, a hydrological exploration is going on to determine the feasibility of upgrading the existing facilities to be able to produce between 12 and 15 million gallons.
Other water works that have two-million gallon capacities are at Imeke, Iworo, Ikate, Itire, Epe, Ikorodu, Meiran, Isheri-oshin, Ojokoro, Magodo, Shangisha, Badagry, Ajegunle and Mende many of which are going through the process of rehabilitation, after which Lagos residents would enjoy better services.
Convinced that rehabilitation alone may not be enough in view of the still-growing population in the state, Holloway said there are plans for three additional mini-water works at Abule-Egba, Oshodi and Mosun Okunola.
"The projection is that after the completion of the three projects, 30 million gallons daily would be injected into the system."
For the long term, Holloway said a water project designed to produce 70 million gallons daily, is being planned along the Lekki-Epe Corridor, as a result of very rapid physical development.
The project, he said would to be located in Odomola in Epe Division of Lagos state and would serve Lekki, Ikoyi and Epe axis.
" The design of the project has been commission and the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, has given all the necessary support for the take off of the project.
"The Odomola Water Work is strategically located so as to remove pressure from Iju and Adiyan and by extension, serve the Island and Mainland.
Besides, another contract was signed in December 2008, for the construction of a mini-water works to be located in Ota-Ikosi, in Agbowa Ejinrin Local Development Area. Contractor has been mobilized and is on the site for the commencement of work. The project is designed to produce four (4) million gallons per day. The station is meant to serve the Northern part of the state, which is essentially, the Ikorodu, Agbowa, Odongunyan and Ijede axis.
It was noted that for years, some communities in the area are yet to get pipe borne water."
He added that at present, Akute, which is the source of water abstraction to Iju and Adiyan is to be rehabilitated, noting that the rehabilitation exercise would be carried out in stages, to avoid interruption of water supply.
"Apart from Akute, Dolphin Water Works, established in 1992 with one million-gallon design would be upgraded to two million gallons."
The lofty goals of the LSWC notwithstanding, Holloway admitted there are challenges his corporation must overcome if the raised expectations of Lagosians are to be met.
One of such challenges, he said, was the activity of vandals, the water vendors, the water tanker operators and the car wash operators.
" More often than not, these group of people usually tap from our mains and when the mains are tampered with, the tendency is that reticulation suffers obstruction, that is flow of water to the genuine consumers is impeded.
"Last week, one of our valves was shut down illegally by borehole operators in Sari-Iganmu, which caused severe water scarcity.
The purpose is just to attract consumers by creating the artificial scarcity."
He said because cases like that were becoming rampant, the LSWC had set up a task force and monitoring group.
" In fact, arrests have been made while the offenders are being prosecuted.
Another major challenge is the car wash operators. The public may not believe this; to wash a single car, you need a great volume of water that an entire household can consume for one week, if not more. These operators are all over the metropolis, washing hundreds of vehicles daily.
One can begin to imagine the quantity of water they consume, without paying anything to the corporation."
As a way out, the corporation would soon install metres on all houses, offices, institutions and others which, it is hoped, would make water consumers more conscious of how to preserve water in their homes and offices.
The LSWC has also embarked on public awareness campaign and aggressive monitoring.
"In fact, the governor has given us all the needed support to ensure both production, preservation and unfettered supply of water to all and sundry, provided they honour their financial obligations, which we believed is a token, compared with what people are paying to the informal operators such as borehole, water tanker, or the mai ruwa.
The corporation has been divided into 30 zones for more effective enumeration of properties, to ensure an uninterrupted water supply and prompt payment of water rates. Besides, the zones would be in better position to report any pipe leakage, act of vandalism or illegal tapping as well as ensure the success of metering system we are to embark upon. With all these in place and the completion of the dedicated independent power project, we would be in position to offer quality service."
Warning Lagosians to be careful about their sources of water, Holloway said: "Our water rate is still the cheapest apart from safety of its consumption. We charge N50 for a cubic of water, which is 500 litres.
Our water is safer than other sources.
Lagos, being a littoral state, adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean is prone to saline intrusion that can cause over abstraction. The water from borehole also runs the risk of over abstraction because many of them don't dig up to the level that safe water can be located.
However, as a responsive organization, with a responsible government, we are ready to subdue the challenges, overcome them and perform to the best international practice and expectations.
"That is why we are asking Lagosians to co-operate with us as we strive to meet the challenges of providing them, enough, safe and affordable water."
