41% Public Water Supply Contaminated – FG

The Federal Government on Tuesday said no fewer than 41 per cent of the country’s public water supply was contaminated with faeces, pledging to end continuous contamination of drinking water sources.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, made the revelation at the launch of the Nigerian Roadmap for Water Quality Management and Guidelines for Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Surveillance in Abuja.

Utsev said the roadmap was an opportunity to change the poor narrative of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) indices in the country.

Utsev, who was represented by Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, the Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation in the ministry, said all states had the responsibility to provide potable water for their population.

The Minister added that 67 per cent of the population has access to basic water supply services, while only 13 per cent have access to safely managed drinking water services according to the 2021 WASH Normal Outcome Routine Mapping 3.

He said the report revealed that contaminated water at the source and the point of consumption stood at 68 and 70 per cent, respectively.

According to him, “However, only 28 out of the 36 states have urban water supply utilities or state water agencies with 16 states having fully functional urban utilities, while 12 were partially functional.

“About 41 per cent of all taps fed by urban water utility supply are contaminated with faecal matter.

“A conscious effort must be made for access to improved water sources to ensure that water safety measures that minimise drinking water contamination from the source to the point of use are in place.”