Lagos State WasteWater Management Office(LSWMO)

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BACKGROUND HISTORY OF LAGOS STATE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT OFFICE (LSWMO)

The Lagos State Government on 3rd September, 2010 created the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) as the implementing agency for all wastewater management matters in the State. This move was necessary in order to enable the state government to focus on wastewater management

The Office was under the supervision of the Honourable Commissioner for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. The headquarters of Lagos State Wastewater Management Office, Wastewater House, Obasa, off Oba Akran, Ikeja was commissioned and officially handed over for use in December 2010.

VISION

A Lagos Smart-City with Clean and Sustainable Water resources that is devoid of Wastewater contamination.

MISSION

To entrench sustainable and healthy Wastewater Management practices in Lagos State, through the implementation of appropriate and globally-proven Wastewater Management Policies, Programmes and Projects.

MANDATE

The mandate of the Office covers the implementation of policies, plans, programmes and projects on sewage and septage management in the State. The responsibility encompasses the management of the generation, collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of wastewater in order to ensure the discharge of a permissible and adequately treated effluent into the environment.

CORE VALUES

In the quest towards achieving our strategic vision and our grand mission at all levels; we act based upon the following core values.

OUR ASSETS

i. Employee – Our greatest asset
ii. Stakeholders – Commitment to fostering public and private partnerships that will support the actualization of our goals and in meeting our objectives.

Lagos Sewage History

Sewage has for a long time been known and considered a potential health risk and environmental nuisance in Lagos State. For many decades, the pail system was used for storage of sewage during the day with night soil men coming to pick and dispose of it in the Lagoon or other water bodies and farmlands,while the major proportion of the population used open defecation, pit latrines, ventilated improved pit latrines and hanging latrines in riverine areas of the State. In the early 1900s during the colonial era, a night soil disposal point was built at Ebute-Elefun, Lagos Island. Network of sewers were laid in the Island for conveying sewage the night soil disposal point, the European quarters and storm-water from the Island to the Lagos Lagoon. These attempts relied heavily on the self-cleansing capacities of the lagoon.

In the late 70s, it was obvious that the assimilative capacity of the lagoon could no longer cope with the sewage being generated especially with the growing population and high rate of industrialization as it was soon realized that the discharge of wastewater directly into the water bodies, resulted in significant deterioration of the water quality of such bodies. The State Government consequently enacted ” abolition of pail latrine system” law eradicating the use of pail latrine system and providing for construction of the Water Closet and its accessory; Septic tank/ soak away pit systems for tenements with public water supply and also compelled the use of better sanitary facilities of Pour Flush, Aqua Privy, Ventilated Improved Latrine, Odorless earth closet and water seal latrine in areas with limited access to water.

As from the commencement of that Law, the owners of every existing or new building or tenement with adequate and regular supply of water from the public taps were to provide the suitable type of sewage disposal system which were mandatorily constructed in accordance with the technical specifications and drawings set out in the Schedules of the Law. The State Government also constructed 5 Wastewater Treatment Plants at Abesan, Oke-Afa, Amuwo- Odofin and Iponri Low Cost Housing Estates and the Secretariat, Alausa during this period to usher in an era of contemporary wastewater management in the State. Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) is the implementing agency for all wastewater management matters in the State.

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