The perennial shortage of portable water supply in Lagos has attracted the attention of engineers in the state. Accordingly, the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Apapa Branch, on Monday, expressed concerns over the failure of the Lagos State government to provide residents with portable water. The engineers, therefore, called on the Lagos State Government to endeavour to provide potable water for residents of the state.
The Branch Chairman of the NSE, Apapa, Christian Ufot, at a news conference towards the celebration of the 2022 Engineering Week in Lagos, stated that an area of concern doe the Society has been the supply of pipe borne water to residents of the state, saying that the society has continued to focus on the welfare of the masses, and proffering solutions to challenges associated with public service delivery.
The chairman said that this is the main reason the NSE often pays courtesy visits to key organisation every year, as part of activities to celebrate the Engineering week.
According to him, “We will suggest that government makes potable water supply to residents a top priority.
“The indiscriminate drilling of boreholes across the state is as a result of non-availability of potable water, and I must say that this act of drilling causes underground water pollution.”
The failure of the Lagos State government to provide pipe borne water for residents have left many to seek alternative sources of supply for domestic and industrial usages. Apparently, those who can afford it drill boreholes, while others dig wells.
The NSE chairman farther stated: “At the moment, the pipe borne water is not available, so, when you tell people not to drill boreholes, how then are they going to survive without water? So, the people are looking for a way to survive.
“The way forward is just for government to strive hard to provide residents with potable water, and when this is done and anyone choses to still go ahead to drill borehole, the government has every right to query such person.”
He added: “…we decided that we needed to pay a visit to the state Water Corporation, and during the visit, we were able to identify challenges being faced by the corporation.
“One of such challenges is finance; the budgetary provision for the corporation is really not sufficient, that is on one part.
“On the other part, facilities that have been there probably in the 1960s, such as pipes, are already rusted and leaking.
“So, when water is pumped and distributed through those pipes, maybe, up to about 50 per cent will be wasted through such leakages.
“So, in our houses, when water should be flowing, it is gushing out into the gutter somewhere and not getting to the end users.”