| Free Flowing Natural Water |
Now I’d understand better when I hear someone say “water is life.” There has not been a single drop of running water in my area for about four days now. Water board announced that they were having problems and that by Saturday water will begin to run again. Saturday ran by, Sunday crawled along and now, Monday has arrived. Today is a working day and people are really in need of pure portable water.
Now, to you Water Board, *a promise not kept* and to
us the users, suffer for leaving taps running and not reporting broken pipes on time. For water wasters who leave their taps running and go to work, learn now to manage water!. To obedient users like muah who are always conscious and wanting to save water, just bear it OK? Right now, I am worried, people do not know what to do if this water scarcity keeps dragging on like this.
Without electricity, life goes on, although in a very uncomfortable and painful way but, at least life goes on grudgingly. I can survive without Television viewing, without using electrical appliances in general. For us women who love to cook, preparing meals will take longer than usual. For those who cook with electric cookers, Kerosine stoves and gas cookers will become the replacement. For those who bath with hot water, gas or the Nigerian hot sun can do the job of heating their water. The hot sun can blow dry our hair, LOl. If you cannot sleep without Electric fans and air conditioners, I hear there are kerosine fans in the market. If you cannot browse or blog without charging your laptops and phones, the car charger should solve that problem for you. Your bread can be toasted in a hot fry pan or sun *wink* Basically, I think that I can frown facingly survive without electricity.
If you live in Nigeria, you will know that here we are not that spoilt o. We have been well trained by The Nigerian Electric Power Authority + Power Holding Company Of Nigeria ( I am confused which name to go with). We have grown to learn how to survive without electricity. For the stubborn people who cannot take it, generators are everywhere on sale and may even be among the fastest selling items here. The I better Pass My neighbour type is noisy but readily available and affordable. When power goes off,, generators take over, polluting the air in turns. With this hard training, we can squeeze facedly survive without electricity.
This year, or perhaps during the rainy season, NEPA shocked us all as there was light as has not been in a looooonng time. There has been so much improvement. It looks too good to be true. We fear that around Christmas they may revert back to old ways. But, on the whole, people have saved money that would have been used on diesel and fuel. I can’t think of another waste link like spending to keep a generator running.
It is expensive! So, kudos to NEPA. Back to you water board. Can you survive without water?
If given the option to choose between water and electricity in just one week, I will definitely pick water. Water is not what one should ration or manage. In case Water board cannot do something about it this first few days of the week, they should come around and dig pit toilets for people*wink wink* Buying water to flush cannot be fun.
| A water reservoir |
Water reservoirs are beginning to run dry, We are almost in panic mode. Now that NEPA is behaving not badly, Water board is trying to behave badly. Can’t everything just work well at the same time? which one? I’d rather I don’t have light for one week than not have water for a day.
Ok, now I am thinking of bore-hole water, is it safe to drink without boiling? “Stupid question” I guess?
Unless you dig a very deep borehole, I wouldn't use it for drinking without purifying either filtering or boiling or both 🙂
Like you, I'll rather have water than electricity, but in the long run, both are important. I hope they WB restores your water soon.
Abj waterboard can't be trusted atall, sometimes am pushed to suspect dey're trying to help their brothers d mai ruwa(water saler) to make some change. Can recall how we drive from Garki to Wuse in search of water,before we dug our own borehole. The importance of water to we humans cannot be overemphasized.
~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA3310
Wow! We have been to Zambia twice where we didn't have electricity or water at different times, but we didn't stay longer than a month both times. We've also had a few hiccups here in South Africa, but usually in S.A. it's never a crisis like what you mentioned. Your list puts it very well, why water is life. I'll pray for you and that the Water Board will not misbehave (hahaha!).
Tina – American mom raising 4 kids in South Africa
http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com
This is typical of many of our cities. We ended up digging a bore-hole to be able to get constant water, but for electricity supply, forgerit! take it when you see it, or run ya generator as usual.
That is 9ja for you o my sister. Everybody is there own Local Govt. providing Water via borehole, providing electricy via generating set, providing security via OPC or Bakassi boys etc. It is only a REVOLUTION that can bring an end to this.
Gosh Eya,
I can't imagine being without water, it just goes to show how we take things for granted. I hope it is fixed soon for you.
I have never been supplied water by government in my entire life o. And no, I don't live in a village. It sounds weird and unreal to me when people say they get water from water board, or any other body.
I'd rather have water if I had to choose… Love water too much.
I think i would definitely choose water… Many times in the past, due to water issues I have had to use several satchet pure water to have a wash in the mornings and sometimes bottle water when the satchet water ran out. May God continue to make our country more condusive for living.
http://www.spynaija.blogspot.com
Oh wow, I hope they get it fixed and soon. It's a bit difficult to adjust to but you should start considering having a mai ruwa or someone else supply water to you regularly.
Water and electricity are not to be taken for granted in these parts.
Alright, should just stick to drinking bottled water for now.
Today is Tuesday and there is no sound of running water. Issorait!
Cost of living in my dear country, chei! One digs a borehole in the village for access to clean water, digs again in a city that is the seat of power??
Thanks Christina. I say Amen to your prayer, hopefully we get water this week. Hope Jeremiah had loads of fun on his Birthday?
Oh the mai ruwas? They have skyrocketed the cost of water eh? A jerrican is going for about a hundred and twenty naira. You can imagine the cost of a truck of twelve jerricans that won't even last for a day.
Yes o, I totally agree!
Thank you Brenda. I hope so too.
My dear, the mai ruwas are having a sales boom right now.
Hahahahahah! may it not get to that o. God help us in Naija.
Water is like everything dear, without it, even our "very good Dams" will stop functioning. I refuse to imagine that.
Hmmm, you are strong! How do you cope then? They must hear this o.
Is there a Water board in Nigeria? I am amazed that there are people in this country that still get supplied water by WB. I have lived in Lagos for a while-over 11 years, and I have not lived in a place where we got water supply from WB, and I am not talking of slum areas o. Hmmm, amazing! Sorry about your plight though-I hope it's been rectified now. Of course, any time, any day, I'd vote for water, but the electricity is very important as well.
Growing up there was water from water board,but that ended a very long time ago! And we resorted to mai ruwa and then borehole!
Like you said mehnnnn we have been properly trained by nepa and phcn to survive without electricity!
I would rather haff water over electricity o. Once I hear the pumping machine is bad or something I start panicking. I don't like 'no water' at all! I hope they restore yours soon dear.
Thanks Tamie. Water Board still supplies water in Abuja. You can't even compare NEPA to them. They are good except for now and I guess they are having some issues.
Hi Unyime, there is Water Board over here. They are consistent with water supply except when there is a major problem like broken pipes, but, as soon as that is fixed, water continues to run with speed and humming sounds. This time I fear o. It's not been rectified yet.
SHE IS RIGHT…
VERY WELL PUT…
EYA, WHEN I WAS TOLD WB WAS SHUTTING DOWN HERE IN ABUJA FOR A *FEW DAYS*, I PANICKED. ITS UNHEARD OF. THEY ARE SO CONSISTENT. SO I WENT ON TO STORE WATER IN MY BUCKETS, DRUM, POTS AND EVEN CUPS hehe…THEN I WAITED….WAITED….WAITED SOME MORE…..AM STILL WAITINGGGGGGGGGGG FOR THE WATER TO STOP RUNNING AND IT HASN'T. I GUESS THEY DIDN'T SHUT DOWN IN MY AREA THEN….NOW I CAN GET RID OF ALL THE BUCKETS E.T.C LITTERING MY BATHROOMS…SORRY TO HEAR YOU STILL DONT HAVE WATER.
AS FOR WHICH DO I PREFER WATER OR LIGHT…..HONESTLY I PREFER TO HAVE UNINTERRUPTED POWER OH….THE SOLUTION TO WATER IS EASY…DIG A BOREHOLE shikena….BUT THE SOLUTION TO LIGHT IS BY FAR MORE EXPENSIVE THAN DIGGING 5 BOREHOLES…PRESENTLYI I AM MY OWN PHCN…AM CONNECTED TO NEPA, HAVE AN INVERTER, A *PASS MY NEIGHBOUR* AND A BIG GENERATOR. THE LIGHT SITUATION IN THIS COUNTRY IS SO BAD THAT THE ONLY WAY I CAN HAVE 24HR LIGHT IS BY MAINTAINING THE LIST ABOVE…NOW ONCE U SINK A BOREHOLE….U NO GET WAHALA…BUT THE COST OF GENERATORS, BUYING FUEL (IN NIGERIA WITH THE REOCCURRING FUEL SCACITY AND FILLING STATIONS REFUSING TO SELL IN JERRYCANS) AND GETTING AN INVERTER IS MORE STRESSFUL THAN DIGGING A BOREHOLE….
SO I WOULD RATHER HAVE LIGHT 24/7…
IN FACT YOU ARE INDEED WALKING IN THE SAME SHOES WITH ME…YOU ARE SO RIGHT ON *DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF THE DAY*. HOT AFTERNOON WE SWITCH ON BIG GEN THAT CAN CARRY THE AC AND ALSO CHARGE THE INVERTER. SOMETIMES WE USE THE SMALL ONE TO SAVE ON INVERTER BATTERIES TO BE USED AT NIGHT SO WE DONT HAVE TO SUFFER THE NOISE OF THE GENERATORS WHILE SLEEPING…. ALSO HAD TO CHANGE BATTERIES AT N55K EACH….HA THIS COUNTRY SEF… ABEG EYA GIVE ME 24 HOURS LIGHT ANYDAY ANYTIME
Lucky you! They want you to enjoy water while we suffer eh? You have round about preparedness, no shaking. Sinking a borehole is not a day's job o.
MY DEAR…IF ONE CANNOT SINK A BOREHOLE, YOU BUY A WATER TANK AND NEGOTITATE A TANKER TO SUPPLY YOU WATER WEEKLY…..STILL BY FAR CHEAPER THAN WHAT I DO TO ENSURE UNLIMITED POWER….NOT TO MENTION THE SECURITY RISK AND DANGER OF STORING FUEL IN MY BACKYARD!!
They didn't shut down in your area then!
Oh, *sinks or digs. Am I correct?
@Sue, laughing at what you said about being your own PHCN. I completely identify. In my own house, the inverter comes on as soon as light goes off, and once the inverter is beeping, the big gen comes on, or the small one, depending on the time of the day. The cost of buying diesel/fuel to maintain both big and small gen, not to talk of what it took to install an inverter for a big house like mine that could carry all the necessary appliances, has been astronomical.*groaning. And after barely a year of having the inverter, which we were told would help save cost on diesel, the technicians are telling us that we need to replace the batteries, as they do not last as long as they use to. Hmm! Not easy at all. Things just need to work in this country!
Water is running now, yay! I heard a trickling sound coming from the bathroom last night, and when I turned on the tap, clean water gushed out. After about one week of no water, Water Board has restored water to the whole area.
Alleluia!