The Federal Government has urged the state governments to treat water for safety and employ strategies to reduce contamination from reaching the point of production to consumption.
The Assistant Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Collaborations, ministry of water resources, Mrs Abosede Orimoloye, made the call at a Workshop for the Development of Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan over the weekend in Asaba, Delta.
According to her, people who use alternative water sources apart from public water points should treat their water sources four times in a year, saying new innovation has been recorded in treating water in the country.
She explained that the importance of the water safety plan was to minimize contamination of drinking water sources, prevent contamination during storage, distribution and handling.
Orimoloye said Nigerians ought to be aware of the risks posed along the water chain and how to manage those risks, saying this would reduce the prevalence of water borne diseases.
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“We must all do what we can to prevent contamination, don’t wait for it to happen, multiple barriers can be used so that if one barrier fails, the water stays safe.
“We must use management systems that are improved and worth it, this helps to improve public health especially in reducing water borne diseases.”
The assistant director however stressed the need for more research on water treatments, adding that this would modify systems that would suit different settings.
Orimoloye said a safe water chain could be achieved from water source, transport and consumption, saying communities to benefit from Water safety plans must be open defecation-free, safe from insurgence and communal conflicts.
Also, Mr Charles Ebofin, staff from the ministry expressed that states must develop Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan, so as to forestall possible illnesses and deaths.
“The 2022 floods came with a lot of problems, many states delayed in giving accurate information that would help us in managing emergency interventions, so we want a change,” she said.
