By Favour Atehe
The premises of the Urban Water Board in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, has been described as semblance of a ghost yard, which facilities have remained grounded for over two years, causing lack of potable water supply to the kingdom and igniting concerns amongst residents.
During a visit to the Water Board’s office on Thursday 2nd of October 2025, an insider source , who requested anonymity, revealed that repeated appeals to the local government for intervention have gone unanswered.
He explained that the facility’s operations collapsed after persistent power challenges.
“The water board is no longer functioning because we do not have electricity or diesel to power the system, and the government has not given us the needed support.
“We have complained several times, yet nothing has been done,” the officer explained.
According to the insider source, power challenge and government indifference crippled the water scheme, while infrastructural damage from construction activities worsened the problem.
“He stated further that contractors handling drainage projects and companies installing 5G network cables had destroyed some of the pipelines, leaving several sections of the water distribution system in disrepair.
“As a result, residents of Ozoro and its environs have been forced to depend heavily on private boreholes, sachet water, and other alternative sources of water.
Residents complaining, also said that “these alternatives are costly, unreliable, and sometimes unsafe, especially for families with low incomes”.
Efforts to reach the Zonal Manager of the Urban Water Board, Engineer Onyia Augustine, were unsuccessful, but an insider who spoke to our reporters insisted that only immediate government intervention through restoring power supply or diesel, repairing broken pipes, and funding maintenance can bring the scheme back to life.
