• Laboratory tests reveal the presence of heavy metals in water samples
• Residents risk deadly gastrointestinal infections – medical experts
Faced with perennial inadequate public water supply, residents of the highbrow Lekki area of Lagos State or the middle-class populated Ago Palace Way and Ejigbo areas of Isolo, residents continue to grapple with dirty, rusty, oily, and smelly water from their taps, raising concerns about their safety. However, a six-week investigation carried out by PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU and CHINYERE OKOROAFOR, involving a laboratory test of water samples from private boreholes in the affected areas, revealed contamination with heavy metals and that the residents risk deadly water-borne diseases, including E-coli and other gastrointestinal infections.
When Madam Nkechi Anyanwu moved into the serene Chief Anyanwu Crescent located in the high-end Ali Dada Estate area of Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo Lagos, she was filled with extreme excitement. The reason was not far-fetched. She had lived in the Isheri-Osun area of the state for years where challenges of clean water, deplorable roads and traffic snarl made life unbearable for her and her four children. Hence, when she was told that a three-bedroom flat in the high-end estate was N2 million per annum, the woman gleefully paid in the hopes that she would have some respite, especially about access to clean water.
However, her joy was short-lived as no sooner had she moved into the apartment than she realised that the “clean water” she thought she had was not potable, thanks to chemicals suspected to be chlorine which the owners poured into an overhead tank to rent out the house. Barely two weeks into her new home, she realised that the water rushing out of the taps was dark brownish, smelly with rusty and oily particles floating atop which left stains on kitchen wares, and clothing and itches the body when used to bathe.
“To think that one of the reasons I left my mansion to rent a three-bedroom apartment in Ago was bad water only to land in water that is even worse than mine is not funny. At my house, I even dug two boreholes and put treatment as recommended on each of them but the water was a huge concern as it didn’t get any better. “I decided I was going to move out for fear that continued use of the water could cause skin disease or even an ailment. See where I landed.
“Noticing that they were not forthcoming, I decided to contact one of the Mai-Ruwas (water vendors) to supply my residence regularly. The vendor sells a 25-litre keg of water fetched from a sachet water company at N200 and on each trip, he delivers at least 10 kegs which are N2,000. “I spend over N10,000 per week to get water to run my home excluding drinking water because we cannot drink the water the vendor supplies since we are not also sure of the kegs he uses and how he sanitises them.
Mrs Anyanwu is not alone in this anguish. Hundreds of residents on Tarred Road (Monsiru Bisiriyu/Olatunji Idowu), Ali Dada, Chris Ebie, Latunde Close and the neighbouring streets are confronted with the agonising water situation.
A resident of Olatunji Idowu Street, Mrs Nwiedor has also had her share of the bitter experience. She said she spent an average of N14,000 weekly to buy water from vendors to keep her room running. The woman, a nursing mother, said she’s been using sachet water to bathe the child from birth after she suffered skin irritation from using the coloured and smelly tap water.
The landlord has dug three boreholes here and all are the same. None is clean,” she said.
Ago residents are not alone in this precarious water situation; their counterparts at Bucknor in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and the Lekki area of the state share in this anguish. The water is also brownish and sometimes smelly in Bucknor, a newly developing middle-class area. Some residents said once the brownish substance settles underneath, the water appears clear.
Similarly, a businessman, Ifeanyi who said he’s lived in Bucknor for four years after staying in Ago Palace Way for 10 years admitted the water was bad but his wife uses it to cook.
The rich also cry
Ozioma Anene recently moved into a three-bedroom apartment bought by her United States of America (USA)-based fiancé at Lekki Phase 1. Before her relocation to the highbrow area synonymous with affluence, luxury, and flamboyant architectural masterpieces; Anene resided in the Ikeja area of Lagos and was in the habit of fetching water from the tap to make her morning coffee. It was an excited Anene who entered her kitchen the morning after she moved into the apartment at the request of her fiancé to perform her routine but a feeling of disappointment enveloped her in no time.
Instead of the clean and fresh water she had hoped to fetch, what Anene saw gushing out of the tap was brownish and smelly liquid,” she lamented.
Standing at the Admiralty Junction along New Road, Alpha Beach at 9:23 a.m., this reporter observed two water trucks with different enterprise names driving past and headed in different directions, a sight residents said was a daily morning routine in the area. Buying water, they said was a part of their lives because the water in the area was suspected to be causing various infections and skin irritations. They buy bottled or sachet water for drinking and truck water for bathing, cooking and washing, among others.
Sharing his experience, a professional photographer, Kayode Akindele said: “I spend N7,000 every week on truck water for bathing and cooking. I’m a single guy living alone in a one-bedroom apartment. When I have a visitor, my big black water bucket doesn’t last; I have to do an N2,000 top-up. “When I moved here in 2020, I used the borehole water in my compound to bathe and flush the toilet for about two months while I bought sachet water for drinking and truck water for cooking,” he said.
Similarly, a resident food vendor at Alpha Beach area of Igbo Efon, Zinny’s Restaurant said: “I buy N2,500 worth of buckets of water every day for cooking and another N2,000 for use in my single-room apartment.”
Clean water in dirty tanks, kegs
With their only option being to patronise water vendors who make fortunes supplying water to subscribed homes through trucks and tankers; residents however are concerned about the unhygienic state of these trucks themselves. Asked if he trusted the purity of water from the vendors, Akindele said he believed those tankers/trucks were rarely washed and prone to contamination. “Some of these trucks have been in operation for many years, and I don’t think that operators deem it fit to wash them, judging by the way that the trucks are constructed thereby exposing residents to infections,” he said.
The food vendor believes that the water was pure enough to be used for cooking and other domestic purposes except for drinking. Posing as a potential buyer, our reporter, who was in the neighbourhood stopped one of the water trucks and asked about the hygiene routine of the water truck. The question at first seemed ridiculous to the driver, an elderly man clad in an Ankara top and a pair of pants. Laughing, he said: “If our water is not clean, we wouldn’t be long in this business making over four trips in a day.”
When the reporter probed further to know how many times a week he washed the tank, the laughter fizzled and in its place appeared a frown which was followed by a rather impolite remark. “Madam, if you want to buy water, buy water and stop this ridiculous question. I don’t know where you have been buying water that made you ask this kind of question. We sell water every day with this tank and the water is clean.”
A water vendor in Ago, Aminu said 10 kegs of 25 litres are sold for N2,000 during the rainy season and N2,500 in the dry season. Aminu who spoke in Pidgin English said they go as far as the Ire Akari area of Isolo to fetch clean water at N100 per gallon and wheel back to the Ago Palace area for sale.
When this reporter asked if the gallons were used for buying petrol as well as water, he denied it saying, “Me na only water I dey use am fetch; I no dey buy petrol. Aminu admitted that he doesn’t wash the kegs.
Statistics
According to a World Health Organisation’s 2022 factsheet, over two billion people lived in water-stressed countries in 2021 and the figure was expected to be exacerbated in some regions as a result of climate change and population growth. It said at least 1.7 billion people globally used a drinking water source contaminated with faeces which posed the greatest risk to drinking-water safety. “Safe and sufficient water facilitates the practice of hygiene, which is a key measure to prevent not only diarrheal diseases but acute respiratory infections and numerous neglected tropical diseases.” Microbiologically-contaminated drinking water can transmit diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio and is estimated to cause approximately 505,000 diarrheal deaths each year.
“In 2022, 73 per cent of the global population (6 billion people) used a safely managed drinking-water service -that is, one located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination. The remaining 2.2 billion people without safely managed services in 2022 included: “1.5 billion people with basic services, meaning an improved water source located within a round trip of 30 minutes; 292 million people with limited services, or an improved water source requiring more than 30 minutes to collect water; 296 million people taking water from unprotected wells and springs; and 115 million people collect untreated surface water from lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.” The WHO also recommended between 50 and 100 litres of water per person per day to meet most basic needs with fewer health concerns.
Perennial water challenge
Despite having a wetland topography and network of lagoons, residents of most areas in Lagos lack potable water. Less than 40 per cent of the over 22 million residents have access to potable water- a human right explicitly recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010- which proclaimed that everyone has the right to sufficient, continuous, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use.
According to WaterAid, an international NGO, the state would require an annual sector spending of N300 billion to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 6 (SDGs)-Universal Access to Water. In Lagos, the state’s Water Supply Master Plan estimates daily demand in the city at 540 million gallons per day (MGD) but production by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) stands at about 210 MGD, showing a clear deficit of 320 million gallons, which translates to less than 40 per cent access to clean and safe water, Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat revealed at the second edition of the annual International Water Conference organised by the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) in June 2021.
Lekki is estimated to have 90MGD water consumption but interestingly, the area, like Ago and Bucknor, has no public water system. This is because the state over the years did not consider an inclusive development of water infrastructure to accommodate the fast-paced population, and this has left many homes and communities without potable water and the people resorting to drilling wells and boreholes to help themselves. To ensure that wells and boreholes dug by residents conformed with the standard for the production of clean and safe water, the state government enacted the Borehole Law which provided in Section 137(1) that “no person or group of persons shall sink or cause to be sunk boreholes, hydraulic and other structures connected with the supply of surface groundwater or treated water without obtaining the necessary permit from the Office of Drainage Services.”
The government, in its guidelines for drilling boreholes and wells, also recommended a depth of 230m to 260m and a screen length of 12 to 18 metres for Lekki considering its peculiar topography. However, compliance with this guideline has not helped as the water is unsafe for use. The recommended depth, experts warned, was denied by the water table structure thereby compromising its purity.
Though a few of the estates in Lekki have boreholes and treatment plants and comply with the recommended depth of LWC; the water is not clean and fresh enough to reassure users of its wholesomeness. Residents are therefore compelled to limit usage to other forms of domestic activities, save for drinking. An academic and researcher, Obunadike Ebuka in a study described Lekki water as useless and attributed the problem to Lagos’ proximity to the Atlantic Ocean which has left the general population with the challenge of freshwater abstraction from the subsurface.
Findings by The Nation revealed that none of the networks of water mains and spur service lines in the state is linked to these areas and it appeared there was no plan by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LWC) to build water facilities there.
Laboratory analysis of water samples confirms contamination
To ascertain the cleanliness of the water from these areas, The Nation collected samples from boreholes in some private buildings in Lekki and Ago which were sent to Vicbon Chemical and Laboratory Limited, a Lagos-based licensed analytical laboratory for analyses. The results of the analyses revealed that Lekki water does not meet the standard requirements for potable water. The test found the samples to be acidic (PH less than 6.5), with taste and odour. It also found that the microbes in the water are higher than the acceptable standard. The laboratory report explanation reads: “The water sample is physically, microbiologically and chemically unsatisfactory. This is indicated by the following parameters being higher than the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) acceptable limit for drinking water samples:- “The presence of colour and particles -low pH of 6.12 which indicates the sample is acidic- High electrical conductivity. This indicates the presence of impurities. “The water sample is hard as indicated by a high total hardness content of 348mg/l. Calcium and magnesium contents are also higher than expected. “The heavy metals are observed to be within acceptable limits. Iron was observed to be present in the sample however the content was within acceptable limits. The total coliform content of the sample was noted to be higher than the acceptable standard. Proper chemical treatment and filtration are recommended for the water sample.”
By WHO standards, the optimum pH required to ascertain good water quality should be between the range of 6.5 and 8.5. The world body noted that the pH required would vary in different supplies based on the composition of the water and the nature of the construction materials used in the distribution system. “Although pH usually has no direct impact on consumers, it is one of the most important operational water quality parameters. Careful attention to pH control is necessary at all stages of water treatment to ensure satisfactory water clarification and disinfection,” said WHO.
For the Ago water, the result indicated that it has a minute iron content of 0.19mh/kg which could be responsible for the colour. It said the water was microbiologically and chemically satisfactory, adding that its iron content was within SON’s acceptable limit. “The sample is also observed to be physically unsatisfactory as indicated by the presence of color and particles. The physical properties will make the Ago water sample unacceptable for drinking. Adequate filtration is recommended,” it stated.
Implications of contaminated water
A Biochemist, Victor Kareem Ibraheem told The Nation that those who use unclean water stand the risk of E-coli, a strand of coliform which is a group of bacteria that primarily inhabit the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. He explained that coliforms are classified as indicator organisms, meaning their presence indicates the potential presence of other disease-causing organisms in water or food. “The most common type of coliform bacteria is Escherichia coli (E. coli), which can be harmless or pathogenic depending on the strain,” he said. The biochemist also defined iron as a strong and hard magnetic silvery-grey metal. He warned that there were health risks for those who use water containing coliforms and iron. “The presence of iron and coliform bacteria in borehole water can have several implications, affecting both human health and the operational efficiency of water systems. I will focus on some key implications I can remember for now. “Number one is human health risks. Iron in water, especially in elevated concentrations, can cause various health issues. Excessive intake may result in iron overload, leading to conditions such as hemochromatosis. Additionally, iron can alter the taste, colour, and odour of water, making it unpalatable. “Coliform bacteria, on the other hand, are indicators of potential faecal contamination and can cause waterborne diseases including diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid fever.
“To mitigate these implications, regular water quality monitoring, proper disinfection methods, and appropriate treatment techniques can be implemented. It is essential to follow guidelines and regulations to maintain safe and reliable borehole water supplies,” he said.
A family health practitioner based in the United Kingdom, Dr Olawnmi Fajana said the foul odour could lead to vomiting and nauseating conditions and aggravated asthmatic conditions in vulnerable residents. Fajana explained further that the presence of E. coli in the samples tested is dangerous and could trigger gastrointestinal infections that could eventually lead to death.
“Consumption of water that contains enormous e.coli is dangerous to human health, especially in vulnerable people including children with underlying diseases. It exposes people to urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal infections- vomiting, diarrhoea, vomiting and could lead to death if not well treated or handled medically,” he said.
Expert proffers solution
When The Nation contacted Ajiboye Sikiru and Sons, a treatment expert to know if the water in the areas could be treated, he answered in the positive but said he would need to see the samples before providing an estimate. Sikiru claimed there was no amount of iron or bacteria he could not remove with his expertise. When the water samples were availed him, Sikiru said Lekki water treatment would cost a six-monthly N1.5 million while Ago’s would be N750,000 annually.
“If the surface tank is up, I will need another tank. There will be one tank down and that is where the raw water will be treated and after treatment, there is a machine that will transfer it to the tank up for circulation and consumption. It will take two days to set up the treatment machine,” he said.
Lagos water authorities react
In her reaction, the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Mrs. Funke Adepoju maintained that there was an existing regulation guiding water supply in Lagos. Adepoju explained that before any water tanker must operate in Lagos, the tank must have been registered. At the same time, persons operating the tanker must also obtain a license and permit to carry drinkable water.
“Any registered water tanker must have an inscription “Drinkable water, license number, permit number and telephone number. The tankers should be designed to allow filling from the top without the risk of contamination,” she said.
Explaining how the access to filing points of the registered water tankers must be, Mrs. Adepoju said it must be well maintained and drained adequately, the filling points must be equipped with facilities that allow filling from the top and protection of hydrant from infection and it must be close to areas been served to reduce cost of transportation and charge end users among others. The Executive Secretary added that there is also regulation guiding borehole drilling in the state. “No person shall drill or cause to drill a borehole in Lagos state without first obtaining a permit from the commission. An application for a permit to drill a borehole shall be accompanied by the fees approved by the commission for that purpose while the permit holder’s responsibilities are to report to the commission any change in the quality of water from the borehole within 30 days of the first notice such change among others,” she said.
But Lagos State seems not to have the capacity to provide adequate clean water and a plan to build more water infrastructure in the Ago and Lekki areas of the State. Rather, there are plans to rehabilitate existing ones, according to the Head of Water Quality Assurance, Mr Doyin Omotayo, who spoke on behalf of the Managing Director of the Water Corporation, Mr Mukhtar Tijani.
He added: “But in Lekki, we have a mini-water works around the Admiralty area of Lekki Phase 1 and it is functioning, but the same issue with Isolo applies to Lekki also because it might not be able to serve everybody in that area. It is a two-million-gallon (2MGD) water works that serves Lekki Phase 1 residents and some other areas around it. “We have another adjoining Waterworks at Saka Tinubu in Victoria Island. We have in Obadore after Ajah axis. Lekki Phase 1 water works are functioning but we are only able to serve 30% to 40% presently and the government is working towards ensuring that a larger population gets clean water. Another thing that we do because we know that we can’t give water to everybody is that we take samples anytime we go to those regions like Lekki in the south region, and we do water quality monitoring exercises.
