Lagos moves to enforce Water Quality Standards, warns Service providers

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) has declared its readiness to strictly enforce water quality and safety standards across Lagos State, warning that unsafe practices by water service providers pose serious risks to public health and the environment.

The Executive Secretary of LASWARCO, Oluwabukola Khadijah Adeyemo, issued the warning on Monday during a one-day community sensitisation and public engagement with water service stakeholders in Epe.

Adeyemo said the engagement marked a shift from awareness to compliance, stressing that regulation would be firmly applied where standards are ignored.

She noted that Lagos’ growing population, rapid urbanisation and climate pressures make strict regulation unavoidable.

“As regulators, we are committed to enforcing standards that ensure water is properly treated, purified, packaged and distributed,” Adeyemo said, adding that, “However, regulation alone cannot achieve this goal. Compliance must be driven by a shared sense of responsibility and professional ethics among all water service providers.”

She explained that LASWARCO’s mandate goes beyond enforcement to include guiding and supporting operators, but insisted that failure to meet required standards would no longer be tolerated.

According to her, many residents rely on alternative water sources such as boreholes due to limited access to pipe-borne water, a situation that has encouraged unsafe drilling practices.

Adeyemo warned that indiscriminate borehole drilling, especially those sited close to septic tanks and sewage systems, had increased the risk of waterborne diseases, including cholera, typhoid fever and diarrhoea.

“Water is life, but unsafe water is a silent threat. The physical appearance of water does not guarantee its safety or potability. Every sachet or bottled water produced, every borehole drilled and every tanker delivery made carries a direct impact on public health. Ensuring quality is not a luxury; it is a duty,” she stated.

Beyond public health, the LASWARCO boss raised concerns about the environmental consequences of unregulated groundwater extraction, warning that excessive abstraction could trigger land subsidence and weaken soil stability in parts of Lagos.

“One of the most alarming consequences is land subsidence caused by over-extraction of underground water and abandoned boreholes without proper decommissioning,” she said, adding that damaged aquifers are difficult to restore once depleted.

Adeyemo said the enforcement drive aligns with the Lagos State Government’s THEMES+ Agenda, particularly the “Health and Environment” pillar, as well as global commitments under Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation.

She disclosed that the state government, under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, is investing in infrastructure to expand access to safe, pipe-borne water.

According to her, ongoing and completed projects include the commissioning of the Akilo Water Works in Ogba, rehabilitation of Adiyan Phase 1, near completion of Adiyan Phase 2, and planned upgrades of water works in Epe to reduce dependence on unsafe private sources.

Adeyemo said LASWARCO would intensify monitoring of borehole drillers, sachet and bottled water producers, tanker operators and household water managers, stressing that all operators are subject to regulation.

“LASWARCO stands ready to partner with stakeholders to guide and support them, but we equally expect full compliance, ethical practices and a shared commitment to health and environmental safety,” she said.

She urged stakeholders to see regulation as a protective tool rather than a threat, noting that when standards are upheld, trust is built and the sector becomes more resilient.

The engagement, she added, was designed to clarify responsibilities, encourage voluntary compliance and send a clear message that Lagos State will enforce water safety standards to protect present and future generations.