Public Water To Run In Warri By January, Says Mariere

By Okorohohi Michael On Jul 26, 2022

WARRI – Honourable Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Delta State, Omiragwa Samuel Oghenevwogaga Mariere has assured the people of Warri of the commitment of the Delta State Government to ensure public water is delivered to about 3,000 homes in Warri by January 2023.

He disclosed that the 3,000 households to be covered by January was the first phase of the project and that at completion, it would serve about 22,000 households in Warri and environs, and with the prospect of making about 500 direct jobs and 2000 indirect jobs available for Deltans.

Omiragwa Mariere gave the assurances during his official working visit to the Don Domigo Water Company Limited yard in Warri where he charged the company to expedite action in getting the project off the ground so the people to enjoy safe and portable pipe-borne water in the area.

Mariere noted that though there is water everywhere in the area, what is available is not good for human consumption since unhealthy and safe water was the reason for the preponderance of cholera, typhoid fever and other life-threatening diseases in the land.

He assured that the government was committed to the delivery of safe and well-treated water to every home in the state hence the commitment of billions of naira to the water development facilities which is already 95% completed.

Mariere noted that even the borehole water being patronized by many people in the state was not safe for human consumption as they can hardly be good enough for drinking purposes hence many homes resort to drinking sachet water (popularly called pure water), bottled water etc many of which are processed in unhygienic environment making them to be breeding ground for diseases.

He assured of the commitment of the Governor-Okowa-led administration to finish strong not only as the Road master but also as a water Master, urging the development partners and investors to up their games and get the project completed in record time, noting that for over 40 years Warri has been denied the privilege of accessing public water and that the story must change in the next couple of months.

The commissioner assured further that other water projects across the state were going to receive accelerated attention within the next couple of months so as to deliver good, safe and affordable water to the people, stressing that the cost of accessing well treated public water was far cheaper than the use of sachet and bottled water, which has become a common phenomenon across Nigeria. He emphasized that the multiplier benefits of the project was huge.

Chief Executive Officer of the Don Domigo Water Company, commonly called Water Board close to College of Education, Warri, Engr Temitope Akinyemi, explained that the development partners were eager to deliver on the mandate, assuring that the fund was available to meet the target and that they were already on site to complete their assignment and deliver water to the people of Warri.

The commissioner was conducted round the company premises to see facilities on ground for himself like the water treatment plant building, pumping station, generator house, maintenance workshop, chemical building and contractor’s equipment and machines.

Chief Sam Mariere assured further that all the issues hampering smooth operations of the contractors and development partners were already being sorted out and that in no time, the project shall be delivered to the delight of all.

He also appealed to the people to cooperate with the contractors and government so as to eliminate all the stumbling blocks in the way of delivering safe and affordable water to Deltans for good living and good health water is life.