While commissioning the newly constructed two mini-waterworks at Magodo and Mende area of metropolitan Lagos last week, the state governor, Mr.Babatunde Fashola said eight of such mini-waterworks have been fully completed and on commissioning, they are capable of giving people of the state additional 30 million gallons of water daily.

According to the governor, the two mini-waterworks commissioned were part of the 15 such project being undertaking by the state government to enable residents of Lagos get drinkable water on regular supply everyday. He said the completed eight among the 15 mini-waterworks will soon be handed over to the communities where they were sited.

The governor also said the new 15 mini water works in addition to providing 30 million gallons of water to the people of Lagos daily would also each come with five kilometer reticulation to aid the distribution of the water across the state.

On the government readiness and medium term plan of the for solving the problem of water supply in Lagos, Fashola said the Iju Waterworks and Adiyan water works with a capacity to produce 130 million gallons of water daily would be positioned for optimum production for the betterment of the people.

Explaining how this dream will easily become a reality, the governor noted that Lagos is building a 12.5 megawatt independent power station that would be dedicated to the two prominent water works in the state and promised that before June this year, the Independent power station would be commissioned.

On the remaining seven among the 15 mini-waterworks projects embarked on by the state government, Fashola explained that they were at different stages of completion adding that they were spread across the state with all of them scheduled for delivery in the next few weeks as part of the short term plan of providing water for the populace.

Describing commissioning of the two mini water works at Mende and Magodo as a fulfillment of his electoral promises to the people two and half years ago, the governor said the long term plan for getting required water for use by Lagosians was to build new massive waterworks through the Adiyan Phase 2 and Odomola in Epe, both in the outskirt of metropolitan Lagos.

While stressing that the plans form part of the water sector reforms of the government, he invited private investors to come forward and partner with the state by investing in the water sector just as it is done overseas.

He also said water supply is a major component of the State Government's responsibility to sustain the environment, promote sustainability and provision of health care and prevent disease.

In his words: "While some people see this as a Millennium Development Goal (MDG) or a goal that has a particular date, we in our party (the Action Congress) see it as a Minimum Development Goal".

Governor Fashola added: "A long time ago they told us that everything will happen in Year 2010, we are now in 2010, the miraculous year. The Action Congress (AC) believes that this are things that should not have a date but should be the primary function of any serious party that wants to form government in this country."

Governor Fashola also expressed appreciation to the contractor which handled the mini water works at Magodo for donating a computer and laboratory science block to the school behind the water works without any prompting.

He described the conduct of the contractor as a commendable act of giving something back to the community by people who have prospered from their endeavours in the area. He appealed to the residents of the communities where the water works are located not to see the projects as government properties, but facilities they should be ready to defend, adding that the people should guide against vandalisation, cutting of pipe and making illegal connections.

Governor Fashola also implored residents to pay their water bills regularly noting that refusing to do so will deprive the water corporation of resources to keep the supply going, buy diesel and maintain the facility, which would ultimately be inimical to the ability of the facility to supply water to the people.

Earlier, while speaking at the commissioning of the water works at Magodo, the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora commended Governor Babatunde Fashola for becoming the trademark for performance and good governance in Nigeria.