Power Outages, Poor Infrastructure Deepen Water Crisis in Lagos Communities

Residents of Ikorodu and Alapere in Lagos State face worsening water scarcity due to power outages and poor infrastructure, compelling many to depend on expensive private water sources. Electricity disruptions directly affect water access since most households rely on electric pumping to retrieve water from boreholes, and poor water quality drives a heavy reliance on sachet and bottled water for drinking. Despite significant investments and ongoing government efforts to improve potable water supply, including public-private partnerships and waterworks rehabilitation, the water challenges persist.

Residents report that water availability hinges largely on electricity supply, with many like Mr. John Taiwo in Ikorodu stating their water tank supply depletes when power is unavailable. Common challenges include drying wells during the dry season and borehole water contaminated by soil, leading to dependence on treated sachet water for drinking. Some residents have installed boreholes, which improve water access and quality but despite this, many still buy water daily for domestic and business use.

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The Lagos State Government has pledged improvements through investments and strategic plans aimed at expanding water production capacity and reducing losses. There is a move toward public-private partnerships to attract investment and expertise for sustainable urban water supply. Projects like the Akilo water scheme reflect attempts to ensure reliable potable water. However, installed water supply capacity remains below demand, with widespread pipeline network coverage issues and water loss due to aging infrastructure and inefficiencies.

Quality concerns and community impact

In Alapere, water quality concerns are more acute, with residents describing water for bathing or flushing toilets only. Many purchase water for drinking owing to contamination fears. Market traders in these areas spend daily on water purchases to sustain their business activities, highlighting the economic burden imposed by unreliable and poor-quality public water supply.