If we were ingenious, or even slightly serious, we could exploit any of- surface waters (streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and canals), rainwater, shallow groundwater, deep groundwater or wastewater for our daily purposes. We are however, not serious and rather than optimize infrastructure and logistics to utilize the more renewable and sustainable sources (rainwater and surface waters, especially seeing as Nigeria is blessed with abundant rainfall), Nigeria recklessly exploits groundwater, one of the most important natural resources in the world for everyday use. The estimates are variable, but Nigeria relies inordinately and indiscriminately on groundwater supplies, with some cities depending fully on groundwater resources for all purposes.

Our system is such that there are no central provisions for utilities. Every household is a local government making provisions for electricity, sewage management and most other amenities. In some cases, communities even build their own roads!

While we have grown accustomed to this rather disorderly mode of existence, rogue borehole drilling to draw water might have significant human and ecological consequences. Overexploitation of groundwater can according to good scientific evidence lead to attenuation and drying of springs and overall groundwater table decline, reduction in the quality of surface waters, disruption of biodiversity, land subsidence and increased vulnerability to pollution. For proper perspective, some anthropogenic activities may discharge dangerous pollutants into the terrestrial environment, which may via percolation through the soil, reach groundwater resources. Sustained overexploitation can make groundwater more vulnerable to this sort of pollution, with significant public health implications. 

Recharge is variable, but largely modulated by climate; so recharge is generally lower in the North where lower rainfall and higher evapotranspiration conditions are prevalent. Regardless of your opinion regarding what drives it, the climate is changing and it might now be time for us to pay attention as we evidently run the risk of depleting this special resource at a faster rate than it can be replenished.

It has thus become imperative to explore strategies for sustainable water management. Frankly, this is a mammoth task as housing and urbanization generally is in disarray. Gross negligence and lawlessness has created a situation where many areas lack infrastructure altogether or have inefficient or no central piping. Some cities do not even have a functional urban water grid. While it is practically impossible to reconstruct our Cities so that the right groundwork for providing utilities can be designed and adhered to, there are a few avenues that I think might be worth exploring to better manage our water resources.

The first thing to do is to allot water resources based on water use. Untreated surface waters, water from shallow wells and wastewaters are generally not fit for human consumption particularly drinking. In the absence of suitable treatment, groundwater should be the source of drinking water. According to some estimates, only about 19% of Nigeria’s population has access to safe drinking water. Prioritizing resource exploitation based on usage may contribute meaningfully to improving this grim statistic. We can continue to use groundwater, but only for the right purposes. Exploiting deep groundwater for irrigating cash crops is the definition of quality waste. It is not commonsensical and is in fact irresponsible and such practices should be discontinued, backed by regulation. 

We also must define chemical and microbiological standards for water safety in relation to corresponding use. It is compulsory to develop guidelines exclusively for water protection and use, with stipulations for drinking, recreational, agricultural (specified regulations for fruits and vegetables that are typically eaten raw or only minimally processed are required) and environmental uses. South Africa has an excellent template specifying the acceptable limits for human pathogens and general acceptable chemical water quality for various water use categories. The current so-called standards in Nigeria, which are embarrassingly outdated and have been absurdly combined with quality regulations for non-alcoholic drinks and honey and other products is not useful.

Earlier this year, I read an interesting piece on Mexico City’s rain harvesting program that I think we could adopt in areas where space and other resources permit. The program developed specialized drains to collect water from the roof, run it through a patented filter, or in some cases, a carbon filter and water purifier. So far, impressive success stories abound. Installing a purifying filter is expensive but not unaffordable, but in cases where it cannot be installed, the water could be a supplementary source for cleaning, laundry, gardening (for certain crop types) and flushing the toilet. 

Another thing we could do is to improve storage capacity in detention ponds, artificial reservoirs, wetlands and lakes; a strategy that offers other environmental preservation advantages. It is also critically important that we begin to explore the recycling of wastewaters. This has myriad advantages if robustly developed;- it is a good strategy to cope with water stress, climate variability, population density and rapid urbanization. Its use in agricultural farming is strategically advantageous as it provides essential nutrients for crops and is central to management of agricultural water. It must however be approached carefully, with appropriate safeguards and stipulations to preserve worker, consumer and environmental health. Some precautions proffered by experts and regulatory bodies include adoption of cost effective, technically feasible and eco-friendly wastewater treatment protocols.

Regardless of water use, the use of raw wastewater is not recommended. Raw or inadequately treated wastewaters may contain one or more of the following public health relevant pollutants: human pathogens, antibiotics, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), class 1 integrons, metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel), organic chemicals (hydrocarbons, pesticides, other toxic organic compounds), as well as  inorganic chemicals e.g. fluoride, cyanide and hydrogen sulphide. It may also contain pharmaceuticals, other active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), endocrine disrupters, other veterinary residues, detergents, suspended matter/solids, acids and bases, as well as nutrients and salts (such as phosphorous and nitrate). These contaminants may induce deleterious chronic or acute human health effects and so consumption (via drinking) or contact (recreational) is highly unrecommended. They also have adverse environmental impacts and thus their use in cropping systems is discouraged.

Overall, water is a local problem and requires local solutions, which means that a one-size fits all approach is bound to fail. Local governments, which are largely redundant across the Country, will have to step up to their responsibilities, if we are to take this task seriously. While I could not find any online proof of blueprints for managing regional water resources, I am assuming that such are indeed available, somewhere in some archives. We however, need to draft and include zoning amendments /ordinances for not only general water management and supply, but for running communities. So water related policies are cohesively fused into the full scheme of efficiently running our local communities. Only government at this level can effectively make decisions, lay out specific and broad goals and articulate a path forward for water management.

There is no water management without monitoring and managing pollution; although rife, environmental pollution is still poorly characterized in Nigeria, and it is impacting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. It is therefore, important to start generating reliable data and exploring other associated prevention strategies to minimize the impacts of human activity on the health of freshwater ecosystems. It is useful to emphasize ‘reliable’ here, because like in most other areas of management, what you measure is what you get. Managing by the wrong measurements is much worse than having no metrics at all. Transparency and authenticity is thus critical and all relevant contributors and stakeholders must take cognizance of this. Government action and lead in all of this is crucial, but water departments, private water companies, environmentalists, engineers, biologists, lawyers and lawmakers, academics, non-governmental organizations, will have to collaborate meaningfully to approach and tackle this serious problem. Generous government funding is required but funding for innovation may also be sourced for via other formal or informal means.

Overall, we must start investing appropriately in water resource management, generate requisite monitoring data, initiate the right policies, and ensure sustainable and equitable water uses across the Country.

Water might no longer be an infinite resource-) I hope we can start respecting that.