The Lagos State Government has sealed 14 properties across Ikotun, Ikoyi, Isheri-Osun, Lagos Island, Ikorodu and Amuwo-Odofin for allegedly discharging untreated sewage into public drains and violating wastewater management regulations.
The government said the enforcement action was carried out by the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) as part of intensified monitoring and compliance efforts aimed at curbing the indiscriminate discharge of untreated wastewater.
According to the state, the operations followed complaints from members of the public, as well as findings from routine inspections and investigations conducted by the agency.
The LSWMO said the exercise was designed to protect public health, safeguard the environment and ensure that property owners comply with approved wastewater management standards.
Speaking on the enforcement exercise, the General Manager of the LSWMO, Adefemi Afolabi, said the affected properties were found to be discharging untreated sewage from septic tanks and other wastewater systems into public drains, ongoing drainage projects and surrounding areas.
He said some of the violations included damaged or dilapidated sewer chambers, illegal connections to sewer pipes and the deliberate pumping of septic tank contents into public drainage channels.
Afolabi explained that the practices had resulted in foul odours, faecal contamination and other forms of environmental nuisance, while potentially exposing residents and surrounding communities to serious public health risks.
He said the agency would continue to take decisive action against individuals and organisations whose activities pose environmental and health hazards.
“Wastewater management is not optional. It is a public health responsibility. Where untreated sewage is deliberately discharged into public drains or the environment, the consequences go beyond the property involved. It creates environmental nuisance, exposes communities to health risks and undermines the State’s efforts to build a cleaner and more sustainable Lagos,” he said.
The LSWMO boss stressed that the enforcement exercise was not targeted at any particular location or category of property, noting that all property owners, residents, facility managers and businesses are required to comply with approved wastewater management practices.
“We will continue to respond to credible complaints and act wherever our investigations establish violations. Our commitment is to ensuring that wastewater generated by residential, commercial and institutional properties is properly contained, treated and disposed of through approved channels,” Afolabi added.
