A worker clears the drains in Lagos

The Lagos State Waste Water Management Office (LSWMO) on Sunday said that it had started inspecting houses to check improper disposal of waste water.

Its Coordinator, Mr Adeniyi Abdul, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the situation required urgent action to prevent environmental pollution.

Abdul advised property owners to build septic tanks within their premises and not outside the premises to avoid being sanctioned by the state government.

He said that any property degraded by waste water would be sealed.

“Our people go out daily and monitor tenements and if we see anyone polluting the environment, we will call them to order.

“That unit in charge is called Monitoring Enforcement Compliance. The officials are always out, moving all over the city to monitor.

“Each house is expected to provide its septic tank and a soak away inside the compound, when it is full, occupant(s) will have to call the dislodging trucks to dispose off at the designated points,’’ he said.

Abdul said that there were four septic disposal points at Oregun, Ojota, Lekki and Amuwo Odofin.

“Hopefully, before the end of the year, we will have another one at Abesin and Tolu in Ajegunle where people can dispose septic legally. Any other point, except these points are illegal.

Abdul said the state government would no longer tolerate indiscriminate digging of roads in the state for such purpose.

“If you don’t have a septic tank, you will be charged to court after series or warnings. There are laws backing such offences. If you are found guilty, the occupants will be sanctioned or fined,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the agency said it had also begun sensitising residents on the importance of providing septic tanks in building plans.

LSWMO was carved out of the erstwhile Sewage Department in the Ministry of the Environment to oversee wastewater management in the state