The Festac Water Reservoir, popularly known as Water Works, has allegedly been sold to a private entity a development that has stirred mixed reactions across Amuwo-Odofin.
Festac Water Reservoir which some know as the Waterworks, one of the most recognizable landmarks in Festac Town, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos. The sale has sparked mixed reactions among residents, who have long grappled with unreliable water supply, high bills, and years of inactivity.
For years, the once-functional water facility has struggled with poor management and lack of maintenance. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) reportedly leased it to a private firm under a public-private partnership to revive and manage operations as well as expand water supply across the estate. For a short period which was during the test -phase, water supply flowed to 22 Road, and parts of 24 Road, and some sections of 511 and 512, but residents say the system was riddled with problems.
“We were asked to be paying between ₦15,000 and ₦20,000 per flat monthly, It was too expensive also some of my neighbours in 511 axis said the water flowing sometimes was brown because some of the pipes were badly corroded and many of us had to abandon the service,” a resident of 22 Road told FestacOnline.
The problems and challenges faced by the private company were too ernomous to be faced alone especially with cooroded iron pipes that had long outlived their initial design lifespan
Despite the initial attempt, and efforts to upgrade and revive the facility, the waterworks stopped functioning less than two years ago. Infrastructure limitations, including outdated rusted pipes and insufficient capacity to cover large areas, made the operation unsustainable as well as the test run resident unable to pay the high rate of the service.
The private firm could not renew the lease after the original agreement expired, as the partnership structure was no longer viable given the limited capacity and challenges in reaching more residents.
For the past One year and some months, the reservoir has remained dormant, with rusted pipelines and outdated infrastructure making revival costly.
“Even if the waterworks had been able to cover more areas effectively, it would have required replacing old iron pipes with rubber piping to prevent rust and brown water,” a local stakeholder explained.
Now, with news of an alleged sale, residents are divided. Some argue that the facility was underutilized and should be repurposed for other uses, some say that it had not served its intended purpose for decades and selling it might make it land useful. while others insist that Festac still needs a functioning water system and that selling it off would be a huge loss for the community and the facility might be repurposed for commercial activties.
The FHA has not officially confirmed the sale, leaving many unanswered questions. For now, the future of the water reservoir remains uncertain with speculation emerging that the waterworks could be converted into an event center or commercial property.
Residents are calling for transparency and community involvement in deciding the fate of the waterworks. Many believe this decision will directly impact daily life in Amuwo-Odofin and the surrounding neighborhoods.