The Lagos Water Corporation, LWC, has provided 32,000 meters to households in the state as part of measures to ensure accurate billing for water consumption.
Muminu Badmus disclosed this on Thursday at an end of year press conference in Ijora area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
“What this means is that if you are not supplied water for a particular period, your credit will be in your meter, just like what obtains in the Power Sector.
It is our desire to meter every house in Lagos for better service delivery, but now we have commenced with the first phase, and metered 32,000 properties – pre-paid meters, 24,000; old meters, 6,000, and mechanical, 2,000.
Badmus said one good thing about the metering system was that it was meant to protect the interest of customers, as they were now aware of how much government charged per cubic meter.
“However, we need to advise our people to imbibe the culture of water conservation and use it wisely, that there is a global water scarcity threat, as countries of the world are working relentlessly to nip it in the bud before 2030.
Badmus also said that the government, through the LWC had also approved the construction of 100MGD Igbo-Nla (Phase 1) Water Scheme to serve Epe corridor down to Victoria Island, Ibeju – Lekki, Badore, Igbo-Efon, Aja, Victoria Island, Onikan and other communities in the axis, saying that the project would be executed on Public-Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement.
The Lagos State PPP model is the arrangement where the private investors will participate, and government will regulate and protect the interest of Lagosians, and this is not a profit-driven programme,” he explained.
He said Adiyan major Waterworks was currently supplying 70MGD and that as part of the State’s water facility expansion programmes, the government had embarked on the construction of Adiyan Phase II of 70MGD, to serve the western axis of the State, saying that when the reticulation is completed, it would serve additional three million residents of Lagos State.
This, in essence, he said, would provide the corporation with the ability to bill on scheduled days, and internally audit its accounts within the billing database, adding that this arose from the dissatisfaction associated with the almost defunct system of billing and revenue collection used by the Corporation, which hindered immediate updates of customer payments, added to the fact that it was not integrated with the meter management system which is of great importance to the organization’s operations.

By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab Ilorin An associate professor of water resources and environmental engineering with the University of Ilorin, Engr Saheed Adeniyi Aremu, has said the predicted water scarcity in 2020 would not affect Nigeria.
In two recent reports, the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) said current water usage will lead to water scarcity affecting 30-40 per cent of the world by 2020, and a global shortage by 2040.
The reports, “Capturing synergies between water conservation and carbon dioxide emissions in the power sector” and “A clash of competing necessities; water adequacy and electric reliability in China, India, France, and Texas,” were completed by researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark, Vermont Law School and CNA Corporation in the US and published on the CNA website.
Commenting on the prediction, Adeniyi, who is the managing director, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, specifically said government had put in place short term, middle term and long term measures to “opitimise the use of water” for the benefit of all.
He made the disclosures while speaking with our correspondent in Ilorin.
He said: “Yes, that is our focus now.
In view of the increase in population, there will be water scarcity.
So, we have known an impending danger, now it is for us to work before it happens.
“I don’t think we will have scarcity because Nigeria is endowed with surface water, water that can be used for different purposes.
We know that more that 70 per cent of the earth surface is made up of water, but it is not evenly distributed.

These countries form part of the Central American Integration System (SICA), the economic and political organisation of Central American countries, since December 1991, where they are working to address the issue of water with a regional and sustainable perspective.
“We saw that it was convenient for us to work on a plan, a sort of agenda, that would give expression to the issue of the integral management of the resource,” Salvador Nieto, executive director of the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), told IPS.
“All the studies recognise the vulnerability of the region, and point out that the most severe impacts of climate change for Central America will be because of the water issue,” Nieto added.
However, the region has good water availability, because Central American countries use less than 10 percent of their available resources, points out the August edition of Entre-aguas, a report by the regional office of the GWP, an international network of organisations involved in the question of the management of water resources.
For example, droughts “generate more political will (in the governments of the region) to promote these instruments, and to reach agreements in presidential summits to draft a work agenda,” the executive secretary of the GWP for Central America, Fabiola Tábora, told IPS.
“In the region there has been no political instrument to establish a common agenda on water issues, which is why this effort has been made: to generate a space for coordination among the environment ministers, who are responsible for the management of water,” Tábora said, from the GWP regional office in Tegucigalpa.
Larios stressed that the Agenda seeks both to reduce conflicts over the use of water resources and to guarantee availability.
She also recognises access to water as a human right, to guarantee the supply to communities.
The GWP’s Tábora said that Central America has made progress in water coverage and infrastructure development, but that there is still a gap between rural and urban areas.
Of Central America’s total population, 58 percent lives in urban areas, according to the GWP study.

Srikakulam: Residents of upland areas in the district may face drinking water shortage in summer as tanks are drying in most of the villages due to scanty rainfall in the district.
The following mandals and villages would face severe water shortage this summer- Etcherla, Laveru, Ranastalam mandals; similarly, upland villages in Ponduru, G Sigadam, Rajam, Vangara mandals; hilly areas in Sitampeta, Kotturu, Bhamini, Mandasa, Meliaputti, Pathapatnam mandals in agency; adjacent villages of Odisha border in Itchapuram, Kaviti, Kanchili, Sompeta mandals- if officials fail to fill the tanks in these areas as a precautionary measure.
“Every year water is available in Avurubanda tank near our village till the end of February, but this year water level was completely reduced due to scanty rainfall,” Modalavalasa Madhu, Pappala Gangadhar Rao, Kuna Mukundha Rao villagers of Chinnaraopalli in Etcherla mandal told The Hans India.
“This year, we initiated early action plan to face water scarcity in the wake of less rainfall and would fill tanks in upland areas on a priority basis,” in-charge superintending engineer of rural water supply P Ravi said.

By generating political support for transboundary cooperation, pioneering and award-winning NGO EcoPeace Middle East seeks to build a lasting peace in the region.
Basins at Risk: Local Conflict, Global Cooperation As climate change intensifies, water-related stresses could potenitally spark conflict among parties that rely on the same diminishing water resources for survival.
“Droughts and other extreme events are exacerbating marginal living standards in many Asian, African, and Middle Eastern nations, where widespread political instability and failed states already are national security concerns,” said Goodman, who is currently researching the interdependent relationship between national security and water as a Wilson Center senior fellow.
Mutually Assured Scarcity: Sharing Risks in the Jordan River Basin Many of the sub-state conflict incidents identified by the Basins at Risk study took place in the Jordan River Basin, which “has not historically been an easy place to work on water cooperation,” said Yoffe.
More than 96 percent of the Jordan’s flow has been diverted by upstream users, leaving mostly saline and sewage water behind, said Yana Abu Taleb, the Jordanian deputy director for award-winning environmental NGO EcoPeace Middle East.
As a result, people in the Lower Jordan Valley are facing shortages in water and electricity, as well as a growing sanitation crisis.
The Good Water Neighbors project has promoted consensus on the need to resolve regional water issues, encouraging Israel to supply more water to Palestinian cities, raising awareness about the negative impacts of poor water management, and strengthening institutional capacities for collaboration in the region.
At the same time, Jordan could sell more solar-generated electricity to Palestine and Israel to power the desalination plants.
Palestine would no longer be solely dependent on Israel for water and energy; and Jordan and Israel would benefit financially while strengthening the region’s renewable energy economy.
Adopting “healthy interdependencies, we believe, is a powerful way to promote regional water and energy stability as a foundation for long-lasting peace between our people,” said Bromberg.

KOCHI: Even before the onset of summer, issues related to water shortage is creeping up at various places in the City.
Many areas, including Vaduthala Karshaka Road, Link Park area, Radha Mill and Pachalam market, Dar-Ul Salam Road, Kaathiprambu Road and Ganapathy Temple Road are already feeling the heat.
Usually, water scarcity hits the city in January/February, but this time it has begun even before the Christmas season .
"I have requested the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to resolve the issues related to the water supply at Ernakulam South," said Hibi Eden MLA.
"Here, the construction of the Kochi Metro Rail is going on.
He said pipe bursts were reported at Ernakulam South area last week because of the Metro rail construction work.
"The burst pipes have resulted in acute water shortage at Kalathiprambu Road, Carrier Station Road and South Railway station area.
Meanwhile, the water scarcity has also affected North Edappally, Mythri Lane, Vadakke Kunnumpuram, Societypady, Poozhithode, Winners Road, Godown area at Cheranalloor, Njattuvetti and other places in the city.
Hibi said though pumping is taking place at the Pachalam Pump House, the water is not reaching Chittoor area.
We hope the civic body and the departments concerned will collectively launch steps to increase the efficiency of water supply.

KOCHI: Despite the excess monsoon and normal supply from the Kerala Water Authority pump house at Aluva, many areas in the city are reeling under acute water scarcity for the last couple of weeks.
Chittoor, Cheranalloor, Pachalam, Vaduthala, Edappally North areas are not getting water for nearly a month.
Karshaka Road in Vaduthala, Link Park area, Pachalam market, Darussalam Road, Kalathiparambu Road, Gana-pathy Temple Road have not been getting drinking water for several weeks.
Pachalam pump house is not able to pump enough water and the tail-end areas in the distribution network are hit by supply disruption.
However, according to KWA officials, there has not been any decrease in the supply.
“Though supply is normal from Aluva and pump houses at Thammanam, enough water is not reaching the distribution network,” said sources at KWA.
In the wake of disruption in water supply, Hibi Eden MLA has asked KWA to take immediate measures to resolve water scarcity in Ernakulam Assembly constituency.
Hibi has also urged KWA officials to take necessary measures in view of pipeline bursts in areas where Metro construction works are on.
Water supply to areas near Ernakulam south railway station, Kalathiparambu Road and Carrier Station Road was disrupted last week after pipeline bursts during Metro piling works.
“In the wake of frequent pipe bursts, KWA needs to consult with other government departments to effectively tackle such crisis situations,” he said.

WEF’s Patrick Dube blogs about Water Arabia 2017, where the focus was combating water scarcity in the Middle East.
Although clean water is a major issue throughout the world, the Middle East is one of the most water-stressed parts of the world and as a result, the region is facing critical water scarcity issues.
Frequent droughts, low water reserves, and rising populations all combine to place many Middle Eastern countries in the “extremely high-water stress” range.
The leading Water Environment Federation (WEF) Member Association in the Middle East, the Saudi Arabia Water Environment Association (SAWEA), hosts a conference and exhibition every two years and this past October, I was invited to travel to Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia to attend.
The theme for Water Arabia 2017 was Sustaining Water Resources Through Innovative and Reliable Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies.
Mansour H. Al Mushaiti, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, with whom we were able to discuss the excellent work that SAWEA is doing in the Middle East.
I was honored to judge both the undergraduate and graduate competitions and present the winners of each category with WEF student memberships.
Water Arabia 2017 provided an excellent occasion for water professionals in the region to come together and discuss critical topics that will be necessary to address to help combat the region’s water scarcity issues.
About Patrick Dube, Ph.D. Patrick Dube, Ph.D., has recently joined WEF as the new Biosolids Program Manager.
His research background with UF and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service has ranged from anaerobic digestion to biofuel production to nutrient removal.

Mumbai: The Navy Colony of Cuffe Parade South Mumbai is facing acute water scarcity and therefore, the officials approached the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to find a solution for it.
BMC officer from Hydraulic Department, who did not wish to be named, stated that the water scarcity problem can be resolved and BMC has given them a plan.
He said, “As per the proposed plan, a separate 4.5-km long pipeline will be put passing from Mantrayala to the colony to resolve the water scarcity problem but it will cost them around Rs.19 crore.
Hence, BMC has given them the cost and design plan.
Now they have to get the budget for the work to be sanctioned by their authority.” He further revealed that the current pipeline has many other connections, therefore, the water distribution is not balanced.
Also, the water pressure is low as Cuffe Parade is at the end point of the city.
Mukherjee said, “Civic corporation is ready to provide more water to Navy anytime.
Once they get the nod from their higher officials the work can start.” Mukherjee added they are also seeking non-portable water of Colaba Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP).
Currently, the Colaba STP is undergoing upgradation and once the project completes it will give 24 million litre water per day (MLD).
Makarand Narvekar, the civic corporator of the ward from Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) said the entire Navy Nagar of Cuffe Parade which comprises 25,000 -30,000 population is grossly getting insufficient water.

Ruhango District is one of the areas in the country that does not have access to safe water, forcing residents to use water from unsafe sources, officials said.
While addressing residents and officials Umugwaneza noted that BDF supports such projects because an unhealthy person cannot engage in development initiatives.
Remember, the community and the country’s development is linked with improving people’s welfare,” Umugwaneza said.
Xavier Francois Mbabazi, the mayor of Ruhango District, urged the beneficiaries to safeguard the facilities, adding that the donation will supplement the district’s efforts to provide social services to residents.
Mbabazi reminded the community that it was their responsibility to protect all infrastructure provided by the government and partners.
Richard Bwanakweri, from Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) Ruhango branch, said people will pay Rwf10 for each jerry can of water.
He said the money will be used for maintenance and repair of the water facilities.
The water official urged the community to report anyone found vandalising the water facilities.
Beneficiaries speak out Seraphine Uwimana, a resident of Kabele village in Byimana sector, said the water facilities will foster hygiene, adding that fights would among people at the few points with clean water because of long queues.
Emmanuel Nzayisenga, another resident, said access to water had been a big problem previously, noting that children would sometimes report to school late or fail to do their homework after walking long distances to fetch water.