By Abdullahi Lukman
Residents of Gwagwa, Jiwa and Idu in the Abuja Municipal Area Council are facing acute water shortages, forcing many to rely on unsafe sources and raising concerns over potential outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
The scarcity, which has lasted for days and in some areas weeks, has left households without pipe-borne water, pushing residents to depend on private boreholes, water vendors and, in extreme cases, contaminated ponds and streams.
In Gwagwa and Jiwa, residents now trek long distances to dry stream beds in search of water for domestic use.
A resident, Rukayyat Saleh, described the situation as severe, noting that water supply has completely stopped in her area, affecting daily life and disrupting children’s education as they spend hours sourcing water before school.
Another resident, Grace Benjamin, said the shortage has made life difficult across communities, while a food vendor in Gwagwa market, Amina, explained that she sometimes resorts to using sachet water for cooking due to lack of alternatives.
The crisis has also spread beyond suburban areas, affecting parts of the city centre, including Maitama, where residents and even foreign embassies are struggling to access clean water.
A resident, Muazu Shehu, said access to water for basic needs such as ablution has become increasingly difficult, often requiring the purchase of sachet water or reliance on vendors.
Officials from the FCT Water Board attributed the shortage to ongoing rehabilitation at the Lower Usuma Dam treatment plants.
They also cited delays in approving funds for essential water treatment chemicals as a contributing factor.
Residents have called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration to urgently intervene and restore water supply to prevent further hardship and health risks.