Nigeria, May 27, 2016 – The Lagos State Government has again appealed for residents to be patient with government following disruption of water supply in some parts of the state.
The state government said the disruption is caused by shortage in supply of gas to Akute Independent Power Plant (IPP). Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare who made the appeal in Lagos added that inadequate supply of water was also as a result of gas pipelines vandalization at the Niger Delta Region.
“As a responsible and responsive government that wants succor for its citizenry, we are working tirelessly to get connected to the National Grid to ensure that an alternative power supply is restored to its power plants within a short while.”
The Commissioner noted that the main concern of the government is to increase the supply of water due to the ever increasing population of Lagos, as a commercial nerve centre of the nation.
He said “as at 2010, the daily water demand by residents was 500 million gallons per day while daily supply was 210 million gallons per day. There is therefore a short fall of 290 million gallons per day.”
According to him, “It has been projected that BY 2020, the daily consumption demand will be 733 million gallons per day as the daily supply per day will be 745 gallons per day and thereby having excess of 12 million gallons per day. It is expected that planned expansion of Iju, Adiyan 1-3 Isasi, Ikosi, Odomola 1 and 2 will ameliorate the situation”.
Adejare stated that in order to optimize the distribution of water in some areas, the Lagos State Water Corporation is introducing the Water Distribution Kiosk System by creating Centralized Water Points for purchase of potable water at a substantially cheaper price by water vendors.
This is a new innovation in Nigeria and is meant to complement the 5Km reticulation and the existing network, he said.
While urging Lagosians to exercise patience on the supply of potable water, the Commissioner appealed to the people of the state to report anyone found tampering /vandalizing Water Corporation Power Plants within the state to report such to the government through the State Water Corporation.
Adejare further stated that indiscriminate and unhealthy laying of water pipes across drains, patronage of unlicensed and unapproved water vendors are unacceptable. He described such practices as avenues for spreading of water borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea etc. thereby increasing mortality rate.
