By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
As part of efforts towards ensuring that only clean and hygienic table and sachet are on sale to the people of the State ,the Ekiti State Water and Sanitation Regulatory Agency (EK-WASRA) has held an engagement meeting with the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP), Ekiti Chapter to ensure proper monitoring of drinking water quality in the State.
Speaking during a meeting with the Executive members of the association in Ado Ekiti, the State Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, noted the need for the association to work in collaboration with EK-WASRA in order to ensure that table and sachet water produced in the state are of right quality and in accordance with the National Standard for Drinking Water Quality(NSWDWQ).
Aluko stressed further that monitoring their activities through EK-WASRA would ensure members of the association of Table Water producers comply with the 50- meter depth level stipulated for boreholes used for production of table and sachet water and ensure the cleanliness of the production environment to prevent any water related diseases.
While noting that it is a severe crime to produce and sell polluted water to the people, he therefore sought for the cooperation of members of the association in ensuring that water for the public is always produced in a clean and hygienic manner.
In his remarks,the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry ,Engr. Olumide Ajayi described this collaborative effort of EK-WASRA and ATWAP as a welcome development to sanitizing the sector.
Also speaking in the same vein,the General Manager of the Ekiti State Water and Sanitation Regulatory Agency, Engr. Ayo Osalade, urged the ATWAP Executive to ensure that their members fill the registration forms given to them, noting that the forms are to register all their members in the State and to ensure that their information are uploaded on the EK-WASRA database.
He explained that completion of registration processes will be a prerequisite for the issuance of registration and operational certificates.
He drew the attention of ATWAP EXCO to the relevant session of the WASH Law, 2021 which states that “no person shall operate as a Water Services provider ( including the association of Table Water producers (ATWAP) in the state unless such person is registered with the EK-WASRA. The enforcement of the provision will start after the completion of the registration exercise.
Responding, the Chairman Water Producers Association, Ademola Oyaleke, commended their initiative of issuing registration and operational certificate and gave assurance of their cooperation to ensure that all their members are registered across the State.
He thereby solicited for their support on equity treatment for members towards ensuring that the taskforce are put in place to ensure total compliance from the members of Table Water producers association, for equity and fairness sake.