… Charges Rivers Govt. To Provide Clean Water For Citizens.
…NAFDAC To Check Quality of Sachet Water In Circulation,
An environmental and human rights non-governmental organization has raised concerns over the state of sachet water in circulation in parts of the state with a call on NAFDAC to step up its regulatory oversight and the Rivers State government to provide portable water to the citizens to safeguard their health
Hon Henry Eferegbo, executive director of Olegh Center for Community Development raised the alarm at a press conference organized by the centre in commemoration of the 2025 World water Day.
In commemoration of World Water Day 2025, Olegh Centre for Community Development joined the global community in advocating for the preservation of glaciers and improved water quality on March 24, 2025 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
This year’s theme “Glaciers preservation” underscores the critical role glaciers play in nature such as supporting agricultural activities, generating hydroelectric power and providing drinking water which is essential for millions of people around the world.
The executive director of Olegh centre, Mr Henry Eferebo while addressing the press in a press conference disclosed that glaciers provide essential ecosystem services such as regulating global climate, shaping unique habitats and supporting life in high altitude regions. Glaciers form the largest reservoirs of fresh water on our planet holding approximately 75 percent of the world’s fresh water supply and cover about 10 percent of the Earth’s total area.
Eferebo maintained that water is one of the several natural resources especially, fresh water, in the Niger Delta but is often abused because of its abundance.
He however stated that its quality potends a grave danger to human health and wellbeing, emphasizing that water related diseases kill a child every eight seconds according to World Health Organization and are responsible for 80 percent of all illnesses and death in developing countries.
According to him, microbiologically contaminated drinking water can transmit diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery and polio.
Eferebo disclosed that to mark World Water Day 2025, Olegh Centre commissioned a research on the portability and quality of sachet water in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor locals government areas of Rivers State in 13 randomly selected areas and the result revealed that the water in circulation showed evidence of heavy metals.
Said he:
“The research involved the collection of 13 random samples from various locations including Rukpokwu, Rumokoro, Choba, Rumuola, Dline and Port Harcourt Township.”
Eferegbo disclosed that the findings indicated that the water samples analyzed were not good for drinking as they fell short of safety standards due to the presence of heavy metals including lead (BP), chromium (CR), nickel and manganese.
This he explained, portends danger to the unsuspecting public as lead is implicated for cancer, interference with vitamin D metabolism, low intelligent quotient in infants and children, and toxic to the central and peripheral nervous system while manganese is known to cause neurological disorder.
The results of the bacterial analysis indicated that total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliform and faecal coliform bacteria counts were high in all the water brands.
The Olegh executive director emphasized that sachet water has become a choice form of potable water supply, not because it is available, affordable and presumably safe for human consumption but because it addresses the yearning need of the populace for pipe borne water, a vital commodity the government has failed to provide.
“It is estimated that less than 2.0 percent of people in the study area have access to pipe borne water in their residents; the public health issues associated with the poor production practices, improper storage, packaging materials and vending of sachet water, cannot be overlooked “.
The center therefore, recommended that sachet water factories should be run as business outfits providing large storage facilities to protect the product from sunlight which may accelerate bacteria growth.
Also, NAFDAC should strictly regulate the quality of sachet water to ensure standards are maintained and the license of water brands which violate standards should be withdrawn and their products reinvestigated before reissuance of license or permit.
The state ministry of Water Resources the study recommended, should provide potable and safe drinking water to its citizens to save lives and reduce chronic illnesses.
Observations made at the press conference was that the report confirms that our environment is polluted and people need to stop encroaching on water ways, stop sand filling, to help solve the climate change challenges.
Also, there is need to ensure that borehole water is treated regularly.
Participants lamented that Rivers State has a Ministry of Water Resources that is not working and urged to government should put in check measures to provide affordable water for the citizens because water is now a fundamental human right and so, citizens have the right to drink quality and clean water.
