Lagos Water Corporation: History, Mission, Vision & Constructions

Here is all to know about Lagos Water Corporation.

Many people are quick to believe that there would never be water shortage or scarcity in Lagos. Since it is surrounded by a large body of water that flows in and out of the city, it would be unbelievable to say it can lack water.

Well, we can’t blame them for harboring such a belief, since the city has the Lagoon and ocean close to it.

It is an irony that the city with large volumes of water from the lagoon and ocean cannot drink from any of the sources. This is because the water from those places is not fit for human consumption.

It failed to meet the primary requirement of W.H.O regarding potable and safe drinking water.

Those in power as far back as the colonial era initiated a project to search for a clean and safer water source for the inhabitants of Lagos at the time. It was that journey that birthed the Lagos Water Corporation.

So many years have passed and Lagos is still dangling in an acute water shortage. It is more serious now considering the population growth of the city. More population means more demand for water.

We are going to drive you through how the Lagos Water Corporation came into being.

The various projects were initiated in a bid to tackle the shortage. And the corporation’s vision and mission are geared towards the provision of adequate clean water supply.

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Lagos Water Corporation: How It Began

Firstly, Lagos Water Corporation supplies water to the entire Lagos State and its growing population.

The corporation was born during the colonial era out of the need to provide water to the inhabitants of the city at that time. It all began in 1901 as a quest to find water for drinking and other domestic purposes.

The quest for water leads the then colonialist to an outskirt location of Lagos, a suburb known as Iju. It was discovered that water flows directly from River Ogun to Iju.

So, from this suburban area, water was channeled to areas in Lagos like Ikoyi and Obalande, populated by the colonialists.

The first water channels were constructed in 1910 and it has gone through various stages of development to this day.

Lagos is notorious for always initiating innovations, while others lag or pick a clue from her.

So Lagos started installing modern water supply systems, while others were battling with the traditional means of digging wells or tapping water from springs, rivers, and rain.

Construction Of The First Water Plant in Iju

It is about 18 kilometers from Lagos to Iju village. And that was where the first water treatment plant of Lagos State was installed in 1910. The plant was built to accommodate about 2.42 million gallons of water daily.

The primary purpose for which the water scheme is designed was to provide adequate water to service the needs of the colonial administrators. They were living at the residential reservation in Ikoyi at the time.

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So, a 700mm (A of nominal diameter 28) iron trunk was laid for the purpose.

There was another expansion 33 years later. This time around another 6 million gallons daily was added to the initial capacity; following another iron trunk of 600mm (B nominal diameter).

Subsequently, more expansion works were carried out to meet the growing demand for water in Lagos. They include;

  • Addition of 11 million gallons daily in 1954, which was followed by an additional abstraction in Akute
  • 3rd iron trunk 1050mm (c diameter 42) was laid in 1962
  • The upgrade at the Iju water plant took the capacity to 35 million gallons daily

The water plant at Iju couldn’t cover and cater to the high water demand in Lagos. Hence, the need for another plant.

Ishasi Waterworks

To meet the demand for water in Lagos, a second water plant was built at Ishasi, which derives its source from the River Owo. It has the capacity of 4 million gallons daily.

The reason behind its construction is to meet the water demands of the inhabitants of Festival Village.

Construction Of Water Reservoir

However, the water problem in Lagos still lingers even with these two water plants in place.

To salvage the situation, the water plant at Iju was upgraded to 45 million gallons daily capacity. At the time, a 5, 000 cubic meter reservoir was built at Ishaga.

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Ownership and Control

The provision of water in the areas that make up Lagos State was the exclusion function of the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Federal Ministry of Works. But it ceases to be the case in 1967 when Lagos was birthed.

So, for over 6 decades, the Federal Government shoulders the burden of establishing waterworks and channels for distribution across Lagos.

When the State swung into action, it founded the Water Board. And charges it with the responsibility of maintaining the waterworks, and providing water to Lagosians.

The Lagos Water Corporation was created in 1980 and later given legal backing by an edict in 1985.

Vision Of Lagos Water Corporation

There is no way that an agency such as this would operate without a vision. So, the Lagos Water Corporation has its vision of sustainably meeting potable water demand in Lagos State through international best practices.

It means that the corporation would ensure that potable clean and safe water is provided to the inhabitants of Lagos State while maintaining international standards.

Mission Of Lagos Water Corporation

The mission of the corporation is to:

  • Provide safe drinking water in sufficient and regular quantity
  • Maintain good quality service through revenue generation to sustain operations
  • Meet customers’ expectations by planning sustainable growth
  • Promote community health by good potable water

Even with this place, Lagos still suffers serious water supply challenges. Currently, Lagos needs about 540 million gallons of water daily. However, the Lagos Water Corporation has not been able to provide half of it.

The implication is that the State would continue to suffer until a more strategic solution is proffered. Since its 3 main waterworks and 48 macro ones are not functioning well, the water supply challenge will linger.

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