By Festus Lambert
Public outcry by residents has recently greeted the host town of Southern Delta University (SDU), Ozoro over what could be described as total systemic neglect as the Kingdom continues to experience years of dry taps, inactivity due to abandonment.
The Delta State Urban Water Board Ozoro faces significant challenges that affect its ability to provide consistent water supply including unreliable electricity and the high cost of diesel needed to power the facility as the public power has become unavailable.
Speaking to our reporter during an interview on Tuesday, Engr. Ezire explained that while the water scheme was originally designed as a regional network to distribute water from Ozoro to Ofagbe and other nearby communities; those villages have since been severed from the grid and now rely on their own independent water systems.
According to the manager, the Ozoro Water Scheme currently serves only the Ozoro metropolis and its surrounding communities after other neighboring villages were disconnected due to operational and logistic factors, adding that maintenance of equipment and prompt repairs of damaged pipelines have remained operational constraints.
He however noted that despite these challenges, the scheme continues to distribute water to parts of Ozoro and responds to residents’ complaints about leakages and other problems.
Furthermore, he said “Within Ozoro, distribution currently extends to key areas including Amahwe, Erovie, Owhelogbo road, Mission Road, Faba area, and several adjacent streets. However, operational capacity remains heavily constrained by unreliable electricity”.
“Our primary challenge is power supply,” Engr. Ezire said, noting that constant electricity is required to maintain steady distribution to the community.
He added that relying on alternative power sources incurs high diesel costs, which places a significant strain on operations.
On water safety and operational standards, Engr. Ezire highlighted the facility’s purification process, explained that for water Treatment, the scheme utilizes hydrated lime and chlorine for treatment.
Speaking on the purification process, he also stated that “it is through the filtration system rather than applying erosion system because the facility relies on an aeration tank designed to strip out bacteria and purify the water before it flows into storage unit”.
Furthermore he stated that the repairs and maintenance process were handled by technicians and mechanics in cases of equipment breakdowns while plumbers responds promptly to pipe bursts and leakages.
Engr. Ezire emphasized that quick response times to residents’ complaints are critical to maintaining safety.
“If you don’t respond to complaints immediately, it leaves the water supply vulnerable to bacterial contamination,” he explained.
When asked about future expansion or upgrade to the current supply capacity, Engr. Ezire declined to comment on specific timelines, stating that long-term improvement plans remain strictly within the purview of the Delta State Government and local council authorities.
