Expert advocates treatment, recycling of waste water

A water engineer with the Ahmadu Bello University, Engineer Mitchell Alfa has advocated for treatment and recycling of waste water; saying, there could be global water crisis soon, if waste water is allowed to waste away without treatment and recycling. Speaking at the World Water Day celebration in Kaduna themed ‘Water and Wastewater: Reduce and […]

A water engineer with the Ahmadu Bello University, Engineer Mitchell Alfa has advocated for treatment and recycling of waste water; saying, there could be global water crisis soon, if waste water is allowed to waste away without treatment and recycling.

Speaking at the World Water Day celebration in Kaduna themed ‘Water and Wastewater: Reduce and Reuse’ organised by Center for Water and Environment Development (CWED), Alfa stated that the increasing demand for water globally outweighs the supply.

According to him, over 70% of water is used for agriculture globally while demand for water for domestic use, agriculture irrigation and sanitation globally is increasing on a daily basis.

"Waste water is usually disposed off after use in third world countries including Nigeria instead of being treated and reused to shore-up the depleting global water content. Properly treated reused water is of higher quality and is better for drinking and domestic use because it poses less risk of water related diseases," he said.

Water-related diseases including typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery he said accounts for 80% of deaths across the world annually. The reuse of treated waste water according to him will increase access to water supply, improved sanitation and decrease in water related diseases.

"Namibians drink their treated wastewater and the quality is higher due to technological advancement. So, reuse of treated waste water can serve as management system to improve the health of humans and environment. This will also go a long way in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," he said.

Similarly, another University scholar, Dr Donatus Adie on his part said Nigeria needs a well developed waste water management policy to guide against wrong disposal of the scarce commodity.

The water expert who is also from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria said 59% of Nigerians have direct access to portable water, 41% are open to risk of water diseases while only 39% have access to adequate sanitation.