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Lagos seeks standard for packaged water

By Happiness Otokhine
01 August 2016   |   2:35 am
Towards achieving a safer and cleaner environment, Lagos authorities have warned producers of packaged water in bottles and sachets to take steps to ensure proper standard practices in their production line or risk closure.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare and Commissioner Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare and Commissioner Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson.

Towards achieving a safer and cleaner environment, Lagos authorities have warned producers of packaged water in bottles and sachets to take steps to ensure proper standard practices in their production line or risk closure.

The warning was a result research by the state that showed possible pollution of the underground sources.

The discovery was made through laboratory tests of samples conducted by the Ministry for the Environment. Thus, the government has Commissioner for the Environment, Babatunde Adejare, made this disclosure, last Friday, at the July edition of the ministry’s monthly press briefing to sensitize the citizens of the programmes of government as it concerns the environment.

He revealed a strategic five-year plan for the sustainable management of wastewater in the state as an immediate intervention approach to tackle the problems.

He explained: “The plan has an infrastructural component of 10 new wastewater treatment plants and the revamping of three existing ones in the five-year implementation period. The objectives also involve aggressive infrastructural investment in wastewater treatment facilities, development of wastewater masterplan, environmental sustainability of wastewater infrastructure in the state”.

He further stated that the institutional framework towards achieving this is targeted to include providing an enabling environment for public – private partnerships, holistic programmes designed towards an integrated approach to wastewater treatment, strengthening appropriate local and international networks in capacity building for the sector, coordination of goals and targets that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART).

He added that, to this end, residences as well as all forms of premises in the state should ensure that all wastewater generated is channelled appropriately into septic tanks, rather than into drains, which directly promote incidences of water borne diseases.

Adejare said that efforts are in top gear to increase the capacity of the state in water provision to accommodate the projected daily demand of 733million gallons per day by the year 2020.

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