As part of the Lagos State government’s plan to ensure adequate, functional and potable water supply to Lagos residents, especially those living on the Island side of the state, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday assured that the 140 Million Gallons Per Day (GPD) Adiyan Water Works will commence operation by 2026.

This was as the governor also inaugurated a 1 million Gallons Per Day mini water works at Akilo, Ogba area of the state.

The Akilo project which was done in conjunction with WaterAid, is to provide water for 100,000 residents of Agege, Ojokoro, Ogba and environs.

Immediately after the inauguration of the Akilo Water Works, Sanwo-Olu went on an inspection tour of the ongoing project of the Adiyan Water Works located in the Oke-Aro area of Ogun State.

The Adiyan Water Works comprised Phase I and II. Each has a capacity of 70 million per day, making a combined capacity of 140 million.

The governor alongside Exco members of the state also made a tour of the 8km pipeline already laid from Oke-Aro to Akute, which serves as the generating site for the water treatment plant.

Addressing journalists shortly after the inspection, Governor Sanwo-Olu thanked the Ogun State Government for providing the right of way for the project.

Sanwo-Olu said, “We have embarked on various assignments today. First, was at the Akilo mini waterworks where we commissioned and handed over the one million waterworks at Akilo in Ogba area of Agege. We’re very impressed working with our partners, WaterAid, to give clean drinkable water to the citizens and to our people in that whole neighbourhood and you’ve seen what we can scale up with that partnership.

“We did mention that we’re coming for a bigger project and that project will change the face of water production and water usage in Lagos. We’ve travelled in the last one hour from Adiyan site now we’re at Akute intake.

“We moved the journey from the Adiyan phase two project which is a 70 million gallons water plant. You saw all of the civil works, you saw the equipment that are on ground and the consultant said to date they have completed 85 per cent but the remaining 15 per cent is very critical, that is where they begin to install the electro mechanical equipment. These are the things that will determine the real efficiency and production line of the water plants.

“We have to lay pipes of over eight kilometres, we have to get the right of way from Ogun state government and I want to use this opportunity to thank them again we paid compensation but we had an extensive cooperation with the state government that gave us the right of way and gave us all of what we needed to get to Akute. The water behind us is what they called Ogun River and that’s where the intake will happen.

“The ground that you’ve seen here, that excavation has happened and all the pumps that will take the raw water is going to happen here so it’s from here the raw water will travel eight kilometres to Adiyan before it gets on to the pipes for treatment.

“So, what you’re seeing is green or brown water that will turn into drinking water in our homes and in our offices and in our schools. So, this is the technology and this is how large water and treatment happens.”

Sanwo-Olu added that phase one would have to be revamped to give a new lease of life.

“It was also done way back over 50 years ago, also 70 million gallons as well, that’s where you have the raw intake pipes on my left-hand side. On my right we’re going to have the power plant. We have an existing Akute power plant, which has now re-concessioned to another company.

“We will be starting with a six, seven megahertz. Eventually, it will wrap up to about 15-20 megahertz power plant. Those turbines that power those pipes need a lot of energy to be able to propel them. So that is the distribution.

“Lagos might eventually be in a position to take about 140 million gallons of water per day. So, you can imagine that from just the 1 million commissioned this morning to now having a total combination of 70 and 70 to take us to 140 million gallons per day which indeed can serve up to Mainland and serve the entire West and then reach over five-six million residents. So that’s the vision that we have for water,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

In his remark, the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab noted, “Despite the fact that the country endowed with abundant water resources, both surface and underground, these titles had begged for answers as Nigeria was unable to meet the demand for universal access to water in 2010, as proposed by the United Nations.

“Lagos, being one of the states in Nigeria, had its own share in the precarious situation of inability to provide the required water to our inhabitants. The Lagos State government’s huge and resilient tendencies and strategy is continually challenging the agency of the government.

“The Lagos Water Corporation has been ever ready to support the Corporation for services toward the improvement and enhancement of access to water to our citizens. The ongoing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).”

He disclosed that the Wash Policy for the states, as the Water and Hygiene and Sanitation Policy had opened up the space for the private sector to come for investment.

He added that the Adiyan Water treatment plant was planned to be executed in three phases, Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III, under the Lagos State Water Supply Master Plan.

“The plants were to source raw water from the Ogun River. Each phase is 337,000 cubic meters per day, plus 272 million gallons per treatment plant in two places per day.

“In line with state government’s desire to meet the state water demand, Adiyan Phase II Project was initiated in 2012. It was planned for a short time, from 2010 to 2016, and will serve over 5 million population of Lagos.”

Therefore, the commissioner stated the government would do everything possible to get the plant ready.

The Managing Director of the Lagos Water Corporation, LWC, Mr. Mukhtaar Tijani, disclosed that when the governor came for inspection in February, there was only about one kilometre completed but with the state government support, all the pipes have been laid.

“My hope is that the next time the governor will be coming here, we will be seeing water coming out of this facility. That is the plan for us. Hopefully, the next time we’ll be able to pump water,” the MD added. (THISDAY)

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