Lagos to Seal Properties Over Boreholes Drilled Without Approval
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Lagos State's water regulator says it will prosecute property owners and seal buildings where boreholes were drilled or groundwater abstracted without permits, warning that unregulated drilling threatens water security and contributes to land subsidence.
The Lagos State government has said it will prosecute property owners who drilled boreholes without obtaining approval, and will seal premises that fail to secure valid authorisation from the state's water regulator.
Oluwabukola Khadijah Adeyemo, Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), said it is illegal to drill boreholes or engage in groundwater abstraction without the requisite permits and approvals, adding that the commission is statutorily empowered under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017 to regulate borehole drilling, groundwater abstraction and water supply services in the state.
She warned that unregulated drilling poses serious public health risks, can lead to groundwater contamination, contributes to land subsidence and threatens the long-term water security of millions of Lagos residents. "Drilling or abstracting groundwater without LASWARCO authorisation is illegal and punishable under the Law," she said. "Every unregulated borehole endangers our collective future and compromises the sustainability of our environment."
The commission called on residents, community leaders and other stakeholders to support the enforcement drive, urging them to report illegal drilling or abstraction through its hotline, 0816 878 2223, or at its office at Block 19, Third Floor, Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
The warning extends regulatory pressure to a common feature of Lagos property development, where many homeowners and estates rely on private boreholes because of unreliable piped water supply, and it signals that landlords and developers may need to document abstraction permits alongside building approvals.