By Kingsley Adegboye

Due to increased demand for water consumption in Lagos State, the government has approved an ambitious plans to commence the construction of Adiyan Water Works Phase II. When completed, it will double the existing 70 million and bring the water work to 140 million gallons per day.

Water vendors (Mairuwa) at work. Pics: Biodun Ogunleye

The new plan is coming on the heels of the state’s water corporation LSWC plans to meet the 733 million gallons per day water needs for the projected 29 million population in Lagos in 2020. The target, if met, would give a surplus of 12 million water in the state.

These plans and strategy were unveiled at the media parley last week at the Ijora headquarters of the Corporation.

The corporations Group Managing Director, Mr. Shayo Holloway disclosed that the plan to meet the water needs of the emerging mega-city had fully commenced. He said the first phase of the plan was the completion of 15 additional mini-water works, with only five that were yet to be officially commissioned.

Holloway said that the decision was in line with the international community’s requirement for water consumption. According to him, the scope of expansion is influenced by size in population at any given time.

Size of population

“For example, the current water needs in Lagos today is 500million gallons per day, whereas, we are able to provide above 200 million gallons, thus with almost 45 per cent deficit. However, this deficit is already being addressed with the construction of the additional water works, the provision of independent power project that was completed late last year,” he said.

According to him, the seeming shortage of water supply in Lagos Island was as a result of collapse of transmission trunk under Carter Bridge some years ago. “But as a remedial measure, what we did was the laying of two 600 mm pipes to serve the affected area. But as a final measure, the Corporation has embarked on the laying of 1200 mm pipe that can effectively serve the affected consumers in Lagos Island,” he said.

Holloway described the award of engineering design of Odomola Water Scheme which has also received the approval of the Governor, as “ the ultimate goal”.

The scheme, when completed is to provide 210 million gallons per day and would be dedicated to serve Ikoyi, Lekki corridor, Epe and Ibeju axis, including the Export Process Zone, EPZ, all along the Epe-Maroko Expressway.

“When this project is completed, Adiyan would be divested from serving several areas, but would solely concentrated in serving only one senatorial district. While Odomola scheme would be serving mostly Lagos East Senatorial District, Adiyan would be serving the West, while the conglomeration of majority of the existing water works would be serving the Central,” he said.

The corporation, however, urged consumers to tap into its mains instead of patronising water vendors. “Although, we realised that there are some areas that are yet to be connected, but when we must have fully completed the water mains expansion project, most of the areas that are yet to be connected would have the opportunity,” said Holloway.

In a related development, Governor Babatunde Fashola has assured Lagosians of his administration plans to provide steady water supply for them till 2020. The governor made this promise during an inspection visit to the ongoing expansion of Adiyan Water works. The water works would deliver 70 million gallons of water per day when completed.

Fashola, after the inspection, said the water projects which the administration was implementing would take the state to the level of sustainable and efficient water supply.

He said, “currently, there are reticulation contracts that have been issued including pipe networks and pipelines being laid across the state to receive the supply of water when it is done. The planned expansion work at Adiyan, which has been on the drawing board since the 1970s, is expected to give the state 70 million gallons of water per day which is the combined capacity of all the mini water works and micro water works.”