•Abuja residents turn to tap water
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Most households in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have resorted to drinking directly from the tap. This is because the popular “pure water” has turned gold with its price jumping by 100 per cent in just one leap.
Before now, a bag of “pure water” was sold between N150 and N250 in Abuja. Since the new year, a bag now sells for between N500 and N600; depending on the brand. The price also varies from locality to locality. While some sellers would add some sachets of “pure water” for buyers who buy more than one bag, others would not.
Some residents resorted to drinking water directly from the tap since they can no longer afford to buy sachet water. Others insisted that, considering the health hazards, since they never really drank tap waters, they would continue buying sachet water, prioritising their wards’ health.
Obumuneke Nwoko a businessman sells foot wears in Maitama Modern Market Kubwa, said: “I can no longer afford to buy sachet water following the hike. Before the removal of fuel subsidy, I spent about N3,000 weekly. This rose to over N7000.
“I have returned to drinking water from the tap because this new price is not easy. The sachet water that most of us is even running after is not different from the tap water because most of them are not even treated.
“Instead of wasting my money on normal borehole water that is packaged, let me be drinking from the tap water. When we were drinking tap water sickness is not this most.”
A civil servant, Chisom David, who resides in Jabi said: “A bag of sachet water now costs ₦600 in my area, as against ₦300 few weeks ago.
“Before I used about five to six bags a week, costing between N1, 500 and N1,800 is now sold for N3,000. Thus is 100% increment. So, I had to look for an alternative.
“In the past few days, I had to start boiling my drinking water, allowed it to get cold then put it in bottles and freeze. It has saved me much and it is worth it.”
A mother of four, Florence Ake, who resides in Dutse, said: “I used to buy 16 bags of sachet water weekly at the cost of N4,000. Now the same number of bags sells for N9,600
“It has not been easy at all. I tried reducing the quantity of water consumption of the family but I had to devise an alternative because we cannot continue to cut the amount of water we drink because of affordability. I have introduced boiling water in large portions for the family, to store in containers for drinking.”
However, Maria Godwin, a private school teacher in Mpape, said: “Since water is a major necessity, buying sachet water is unavoidable despite the price increase. I still buy sachet water at ₦500 per bag. The hike has reduced the quantity of water consumption in my house. Boiling water would have been a better option but the price of gas has also increased, thereby making it impossible.”
Joy Mark sells sachet water, said she gets supply from distributors at ₦350 per bag and sometimes, at ₦400 per bag.The difference, she explained, depended on the company that produced the water and probably, the cost of production about printing, packaging and logistics.
She confessed sales have reduced because “most people have stopped buying sachet water to the extent that even adults carry water bottles while going out.”
Another trader of sachet water in Kuje, Ikechukwu Chima: “We now buy a bag of sachet water N400 to N500 against the former price of N200 to N250. Since the increment, most households have returned to tap water. It has really affected our business.”
A member of the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWP), who does not want his name in print said it is the cost of production that caused the increment of price:
“At our own point, there is nothing we can do. We are no more costing the treatment, what we do now is just the materials and the frequency with which the nylon producer increases the price and they do it with maybe N20,000 or N30,000.
“They go as far as N550,000 on one increase. This increment comes three times within a week. It is difficult for us to continue to increase the water, that is the price of our water, and that is exactly where our fear is coming from.
“Because an ordinary Nigerian cannot afford pure water, I don’t know what is happening. We have been trying to explain these things to our customers. We are dying, every water producer is more or less funding the business from other sources or even borrowed money. It isn’t easy with us.”