FG to produce quality standards for drinking water

Federal government has revealed that it is coming up with quality standards for drinking water in Nigeria. The standards, which would be contained in a document, when implemented would reduce the prevalence of water related diseases in the country.

Speaking during the second technical committee meeting on the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality, in Abuja, minister of water resources, Mrs Stell Ochekpe disclosed that the document would serve as a guide for safe drinking water supply and protection of public health.

The document will speed up the process of upgrading non- protected water system and improving the management of all drinking water systems in Nigeria. The process of reviewing the standard of drinking water quality was initiated during the first committee meeting on 28th October, 2013.

During the first meeting, draft of the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality was sent to the Hon. Commissioners of Water Resources and General Managers of Water Board of the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja as well as private sector in the water sector for comment.

“I believed we have all seen and made comments on the document so that this meeting would harmonize these comments in order to finalize the process and come up with a standard document that is enforceable with all stakeholders owning it and performing their responsibilities effectively,” the minister said

She added that the meeting would give every stakeholder opportunity to look at the comments so as to collectively come up with document that can be nationally acceptable and implementable.

In his remarks the director general, Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) represented by an assistant director, Mrs. Elsie Ofili, said that Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality was approved for use as a functional tool for the regulation of drinking water quality in Nigeria, by the governing council of the SON (Standards Council) as required by law in April 2007.