The Lagos State Government has warned that residents drilling boreholes in the Lekki axis might unknowingly be consuming ‘sh*t water’.
Yes, you read that right. Borehole users could be drinking water contaminated with untreated human waste.
This eye-opening comment came from Mahmood Adegbite, Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources.
He made the statement during a recent stakeholders’ meeting on flood and drainage issues in coastal parts of Lagos.
“Everyone digging a borehole within the Lekki axis is probably drinking what I will call ‘sh*t water’,” Adegbite said, frankly.
The warning wasn’t just for laughs it’s tied to a serious public health issue.
According to Adegbite, the poor handling of wastewater in Lekki is creating contamination that reaches underground water sources.
Boreholes drilled without proper checks may tap directly into this unsafe water.
“If we are able to treat all the wastewater within this axis, which we have plans for, we should be able to also eradicate any form of disease that might result,” he added.
Moreover, the official stressed that despite large investments in infrastructure, Lekki still suffers from persistent flooding.
He referenced recent heavy rains in August
“Yesterday it rained heavily, which is unusual because this is supposed to be the August break,” Adegbite noted.
“However, we started having it because of a lot of complex issues.”
Borehole contamination in Lekki has become a bigger concern as more residents sink wells without understanding the risks.
The state has regulations in place, but many borehole operators ignore the rules or operate without proper permits.
The commission has also announced plans to charge commercial users and monitor groundwater pollution more aggressively.
Furthermore, indiscriminate drilling is believed to threaten the entire water table in the area.
And with homes sitting close together in many parts of Lekki, the distance between septic tanks and boreholes can be dangerously short.
