Time to address drinking water quality

Due to the lucrative nature of the business, dubious Nigerians have gone ahead to establish production factories for pure water or bottled water in their backyards without regards to laid down standards.The National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the years attempted to raid and close down such illegal water producing […]

Due to the lucrative nature of the business, dubious Nigerians have gone ahead to establish production factories for pure water or bottled water in their backyards without regards to laid down standards.
The National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the years attempted to raid and close down such illegal water producing factories but to no avail.
Last year, the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Reng Ochekpe, brought to public notice the deteriorating quality of drinking water in Nigeria.
Several months after, the condition continues to plummet as more Nigerians strive to access drinking water.
An investigation by Daily Trust shows that most rural dwellers rely on streams, ponds or rivers as their principal sources of drinking water, a development that has resulted in increase in cases of water borne diseases in various communities across the country.
According to Mrs Ochekpe, “Inadequate disinfection of drinking water supplies before distribution by the public water supply agencies, open defecation by humans and animals leading to contamination of water sources and water bodies, and washing and bathing around the sources of water bodies have greatly affected the quality of drinking water available to the ordinary Nigerian.”
“70 per cent of common tropical diseases are water related and can be eliminated if adequate supply of water at the right quantity and quality is provided to the public,” she noted.
Water makes up between 50 and 70 per cent of an adult’s total body weight; regular top-ups are needed to balance the loss of water from the body in the form of urine and sweat but how most Nigerians get this water has become a serious source of concern.
In Otukpa, Benue State, the rain last Friday was a blessing to thousands of residents who hitherto depended on water tanks for their drinking water.
But experts have advised that people should desist from drinking rain water that has run off of plants or buildings because they could pick up toxic chemicals from these surfaces.
According to Dr George Akpan, a hydrologist, “most rain water is safe to drink. Actually, rain water is the water supply for much of the world’s population. The levels of pollution, pollen, mold, and other contaminants are low — possibly lower than your public drinking water supply. Keep in mind, rain does pick up low levels of bacteria as well as dust and occasional insect parts, so you may want to treat rain water before drinking it.”
 “Every family or household in the village has a reservoir where water is harvested during the rainy season and stored for use in the dry season, so for us the rain came right on time, as it replenished our stock,” said Simon Akogwu a resident.
Daily Trust observed that residents apart from tapping water into the reservoir via their zinc also created pathways that channelled water directly into their reservoirs.
“The ground water channelled into the reservoirs and left to settle before use is also cherished here because not everyone owns a house roofed with zinc,” Akogwu added.
Interaction with a medical doctor at the Federal Medical Centre Otukpa revealed that over 86 per cent of diseases treated at the centre are water-related.
The doctor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that, “The water situation here is terrible. People drink water from unimaginable sources and as a result we have cases where children and even adults continue to die unnecessarily from water-related diseases.”
Dr Yakubu Mohammed, a geologist said that the country has abundant water sources which if properly tapped would provide safe and clean water for the populace.
He regretted that “In spite of this great blessing, Nigerians still compete with cows and other animal for water at stagnant pools.”
Every individual, according to The British Dietetic Association, should consume 2.5 litres a day to remain healthy. But for the average Nigerian rural dwellers, the water that end up in their bodies, including drinking water, cleaning of vegetables and other foods, cleaning of cooking and eating utensils, are not de-contaminated so that all water borne pathogens are destroyed or rendered inert.
In urban centres, most Nigerians rely on tap water as it usually comes from protected sources and has been treated by the Water Boards to destroy disease causing organisms. This water is also frequently tested in order to ensure it meets standards for potability.
The Federal Government has taken measures to produce a standard for Drinking Water Quality in Nigeria. The document when completed and implemented would reduce the prevalence of water related diseases in the country.
Mrs Ochekpe said the ministry was working with relevant agencies to standardise drinking water quality in the country.
The minister noted that the document would serve as a guide for safe drinking water supply and protection of public health. It is expected that it would speed up the process of upgrading non-protected water system and improving the management of all drinking water systems in Nigeria.
Although a guideline was articulated for the country in 2007 but its implementation has left much to be desired.
Mrs. Elsie Ofili, Assistant Director with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, said that Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality was approved for use as a functional tool for the regulation of drinking water quality in Nigeria by the Governing Council of the Standards Organization of Nigeria (Standards Council) as required by law in April 2007.
 However, acceptability of standards depends, to large extent, on the full involvement of all relevant interested parties. It reinforces the quality of the consensus and makes the standards more representative.
Observers are of the hope that the decision of the federal government to look once and for all at the standard of drinking water is a welcome development and should be pursed with vigor.