BOOMING PURE WATER BUSINESS

Among the three basic necessities of life, water is no less important than air and food. If there is no water there would be no life.
But in Kubwa, Mararaba, Jikwoyi, Nyanyan, Mpape and all the suburban communities within the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, there is water everywhere but none to drink. The situation has culminated in the preponderance of sachet water (pure water) vendors, who continue to make good sales.
Those residing in these areas have been experiencing untold hardship due to irregular water supply.
Some of the residents informed THE PUNCH that their main source of water in the metropolis has been
through the water vendors popularly called ‘Mai Ruwa’. They said since they were not sure of the purity of the water from vendors, they resorted to using it for cooking and not drinking.
For instance in Kubwa, which is said to be the largest satellite town in West Africa, the business of sachet water is booming as a result of the heat caused by hot weather and perceived scarcity of water. Two factors account for this: irregular supply of water and electricity.
According to a vendor, Abubakar Yerima, he smiles to the bank on a daily basis. He said, “A jerry can of water now goes for between N25 and N30 instead of the initial price of N10. Those who are buoyant enough to sink boreholes in their houses are making brisk business in sale of water. But the problem is that people are not sure of their purity and therefore resort to getting ‘pure water’ for meals.”
There is also the complaint that while the water level reduces in the afternoon, the problem is complicated by incessant power outages thereby making it difficult for them to have enough to meet the demand of the consumers.
A few months ago, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Bala Mohammed had promised to end water scarcity in the capital city. He spoke during a visit to the Lower Usman Dam Water Works and offices of the contractors handling the water project in the territory.
The Minister said the administration had perfected plans to stabilise the water supply to every nook and cranny of the city by April.
Commending President Goodluck Jonathan for resolving the lingering problems of ductile iron pipes for glass reinforced pipes, he said the problem had bedevilled the project thereby making it impossible for residents to enjoy the benefits of the completed multi-billion naira Gurara water transfer project.
The hawkers and dealers of ‘pure water’ in the city are enjoying huge patronage. They are mainly schoolage children and have become ubiquitous as they move from street to street.
One of them, Esther Ogbeche said “The ‘pure water’ business is a very lucrative business and has assisted me in domestic matters. I am a widow; the business has done well for me and my children.”
Some residents said the heat and the accompanying high-level of dehydration had made the demand for cold ‘pure water’ high. A Journalist, Pastor David Uwaegbulam, said the weather condition had made the development worrisome.
He said, “I buy not less than 10 bags of ‘pure water’ every week. I have come to realise that buying in single sachet is not economically viable.” Uwaegbulam may be right.
Again, sachets of ‘pure water’ which used to be a nuisance have become a source of wealth for small-scale entrepreneurs. To many vendors, you can start raking in good cash from this on a daily basis.
A bag of ‘pure water’ is sold for N70. Thus, for bags supplied to Uwaegbulam, he earns an income of N1,400.
There is usually high demand for polythene products. This explains why people regularly place orders for supply of polythene or nylon sheets and specify the sizes of sheets and bags needed. In other words, there is often so much order for supplies that overwhelm production capacities.
Water is an essential ingredient of life and good health. A lack of water to meet daily needs can be distressing. Globally, the issue of scarcity of water is increasing as cities expand and population grows.
But the health consequences of water scarcity, its impact on daily life and how it can impede global development are monumental.
An expert in environmental health, Mojisola Edema of the Department of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in an article titled: “Pure water syndrome: Bacteriological quality of sachet-packed drinking water sold in Nigeria” and published in “African Journal of Food Agriculture, Nutrition and Development” stressed that there were several rules and regulations for drinking water. In Nigeria, such regulations are monitored by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
According to her, surveillance carried out by NAFDAC between 2004 and 2005 showed that some producers of packaged water indulge in sharp practices such as packaging of untreated water, producing under unhygienic conditions, illegal production of water in unapproved premises, use of non-food grade sachets and release of packaged water for distribution and sale without date marking.
She said, “These malpractices compelled the agency to formulate guidelines for the production of wholesome packaged water. However, despite the standards formulated by NAFDAC to address this problem, the situation has remained bad.” Edema also suggested “an urgent need to effectively communicate the risks associated with consumption of sachet water of unacceptable microbial quality to the populace.”
One can only hope that urgent steps will be taken to address the necessary issues regarding sachet water production.

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