LASEPA WARNS RESIDENTS AGAINST DRINKING CONTAMINATED WATER, POOR SANITATION

As part of the measures to contain the rising cases of communicable cholera disease in the State, the Lagos State Government has warned the public against drinking contaminated or untreated water in their neighbourhood while ensuring that foods are prepared with proper hygiene. 

General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection  Agency (LASEPA), Dr. Tunde Ajayi, who gave the warning while updating Lagosians on the efforts made by the agency to contain a further spread of the disease, added that a team of experts from the LASEPA’s ISO certified laboratory have been working with other relevant government agencies like the Ministry of Health, Environment, Public Health Emergency Operation  Centre, NGOs and other bodies to bring the situation to normal. 

Ajayi disclosed further that the result of the laboratory analysis for the sampled waters in some areas visited by LASEPA laboratory team including Odi-Olowo, Mushin Kosofe and Lagos Island LG areas indicated that most water in those areas are contaminated, as they contained substances that made them  not safe to drink. 

In the laboratory analysis presented by Ajayi, who is also a professional Medical Doctor, revealed that three households and one Community borehole were sampled in Odi-Olowo and Kosofe LG areas of the State on the 13th June, but the results were not satisfactory. 

According to him, the four borehole water sampled in the areas have low PH, high nitrates and cadmium, rendering their water unsafe for human health. Ajayi stated further that two of the tested borehole water had high salinity while one of them was considered unsafe due to high presence of microbial count and  coliforms 

Speaking further, the General Manager, who disclosed that the team visited Kosofe LG area again on the 19th June for more water sampling because of the increasing cases of the outbreak, noted that out of the seven water samples  collected including ino sachet water,  three household boreholes, one cart pusher’s keg and one treated borehole water belonging to the agency, four out of the seven sampled water were not satisfactory due to high presence of microbial count and coliforms.

He added that only the two sachet water and the agency’s borehole water sampled as control were tested satisfactory and good to drink. 

During the visit of the team to Lagos Island LG area on the 14th June, the LASEPA boss disclosed that all the four households and one treated boreholes sampled were unsafe for drink, due to low PH values, there is also a presence of cadmium and high hardness. 

He added that three of the sampled water from the area, also had high alkalinity and chloride, while two other samples had high values of nitrates and manganese and one sample had Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).

Ajayi therefore warned those patronizing water cart pushers, supplying water in Jerry cans to households to desist, noting that few of those jerry cans brought to the laboratory for test indicated that some of those kegs have not been washed in recent time,  thus rendering them not safe enough to fetch drinking water.  

The General Manager also frowned at unsanitary behaviours of some water retail outlets who sold water to unsuspected members of public under unhygienic conditions and noted that water reservoirs used by many borehole water outlets visited were dirty and unkept, rendering the water stored in them not safe for drinking. 

He said, “To prevent residents of the affected areas from continuing  drinking contaminated water, Lagos State Government has, in the interim, provided water in Tankers through the Lagos State Water Corporation, while those affected boreholes would be cordoned off for treatment  by the State government”.

“Once we analyze the samples again and the results are satisfactory, the boreholes will be open for use”. Ajayi stated.