The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, LASWARCO, and the Sewage and Wastewater Dislodgers Association of Nigeria, SWADAN, have held a joint meeting to reaffirm the commission’s mandate to regulate all water and wastewater activities in the public and private sectors of the State.
The Executive Secretary, LASWARCO, Mrs ‘Funke Adepoju in her address to the executive members of SWADAN, emphasised that stakeholders’ engagement is essential to ensure that structures are set, such as standards, licensing, guidelines, tariffs, coverage areas and other regulatory provisions to achieve holistic Sanitation.
“This partnership is most essential because the dynamics of sewage disposal and treatment have advanced worldwide, Lagos State cannot be left behind, the state wastewater management office is the service provider, we regulate operators, regulation is crucial to improve the methods used, we need to know specific indices, duration, volume evacuated, areas covered and transport for a database such information will upscale actualities to enable us to facilitate global financial alternatives to transform the sector,“ she said.
In response, the Director of Policy, Planning and Programmes, of the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office, Mr Ayodeji Awolesi stated that collaboration is the new efficiency.
“We have observed how sewage management has improved the world over using ecologically safe systems, regulation is the way forward for the sector,“ Awolesi said.
The presentation by Engineer Adefemi Afolabi, Director, Technical Services Department centred on the basics required for improving the business.
He listed the operational chain to include wastewater generation, collection, evacuation, transportation, treatment and after-treatment saying unsafe faecal handling, evacuation and dislodging practices have resulted in major public health concerns hence the urgent need for regulation.
“Regulation will ensure compliance to public health guidelines leading to reduced waterborne diseases and improved sanitary conditions, consumers will pay for better service delivery just as turnover on investment increases, it also enables tariff setting and lays the template for a robust database of operators,” he said.
SWADAN’s President, Chief ‘Tunde Afowedu, said: “We agree that the business of sewage management has advanced, we are eager to improve, we will escalate enlightenment received to our members and adopt new methods.”
Chairman of the association’s board of trustees, Otunba Odunua Odutola, commended Laswarco‘s leadership for the foresight to upgrade the sector in Lagos.
