It is generally believed that the four most basic needs of man are: air, water, food, and shelter, in that order. That water ranks second in man’s hierarchy of needs speaks volumes about its indispensability to life. Perhaps this explains why the creator of the universe made water to comprise three quarters of the entire surface of the earth in the form of seas, rivers and lakes.

Man needs water to drink, wash and clean up his surroundings, while plants need water to sustain their life. This informed the reason why politicians seeking the people’s mandate always, include potable water in the list of Democracy Dividends they dangle before the electorate.

It is on this basis that we deprecate the insensitivity of our present day governments in general and the Imo State Government in particular which have allowed the production and distribution of pipe borne water to their citizens for domestic and commercial consumption die a natural death. The vogue now is for each individual, family and organization to sink their own borehole. Whether the borehole is drilled to the required depth and specifications, whether the underground water seeping into the borehole are from sewage or other contaminated toxic deposits, does not matter, especially to commercial water vendors.

The last major water project the government executed for this state was by late Governor Sam Mbakwe. This Project handled by the JDP Company was of high international standard. This facility with a dam behind fire service station Owerri was not maintained but allowed to dilapidate until it stopped functioning. Subsequent governments of Imo State have refused to revitalise this water facility or build a new one. This has made Public Water Supply part of moon-light story – “once upon a time…”

While water bore holes can be sunk in private premises to supply water in arid regions or isolated communities, the universal best practice, is to supply water to the public using water treatment plants and adding such chemicals as chlorine and distributing same through underground pipes certified safe by health experts, especially in urban centres. Depending on water from private bore holes was rare in yester years as it was obvious that there was no how sufficient water of the right quality from such source can meet the needs of households, organizations, institutions and industries.

Apart from their questionable standard and expensive costs, the proliferation of water boreholes deface the environment. Up till the 1990s, boreholes were uncommon but they are all ever our cities today. Infact some grown up boys and girls of today, cannot boast of ever drawing water from a public pipe borne water tap. All that most residents of Owerri and environ consume is water from hygienically-uncertified boreholes.

We deplore this dangerous trend where everybody has to generate their own water, as it constitutes health hazard. As long as households, schools, health institutions, markets and even industries lack access to cheap and safe water, the health standard of the populace will continue to deteriorate. Resorting to nearby streams if any, is not a safe alternative either, as many streams around Owerri, such as the Otamiri, Nworie etc have become highly polluted with human, hospital, industrial and other toxic wastes.

It beats our imagination therefore to understand why the Imo State Government has failed to see the need to restore pipe borne water in town even with its robust Federal Monthly Financial allocations and improved Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) constantly announced by government itself. We are aware that it does not cost a fortune to access the partnership of multi–national corporations such as the World Bank and UNICEF that are ever at the beck and call of organizations and agencies that pay up the requisite counterpart funds for such projects.

Any talk about Democracy Dividends that sweeps under the carpet the supply of pipe borne water to the public amounts to deceit. So does the advertisement of a policy of Health-at-Door step without restoration of pipe borne water and public taps, especially   in urban centres make a mockery of every other so-called investment in the Health Sector.

Urgent steps should therefore be taken by the relevant ministry, corporation and agency to restore pipe borne water to Imo People.

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