Light in the Water
Port Harcourt, city in the creeks.
Rivers State, Niger Delta.
Sixth largest wetland in the world.
Gulf of Guinea, Atlantic Ocean.
Water.
Filling and sealing sachets in a ‘pure water’ factory
In the dry season, 54% of residents surveyed by the Aquaya Institute drink sachet water. Sachet water is know locally as ‘pure water.’ Street hawkers, often children, wander between vehicles in traffic jams selling sachets to drivers and passengers. A sachet sells for about N10. A young street hawker would typically earn N500 per 200 sachets. That is 60kgs of water balanced on a child’s head through the traffic. Drains are choked with clear discarded sachets. Sachets are often bought by the score for domestic consumption.
In the rainy season, 59% of sachet water samples analysed by Aquaya were contaminated with thermotolerant coliform. Other fecal indicator bacteria contamination was higher. Total coliform was present in 72% of rainy season samples. Dry season contamination was lower.
Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration numbers were verified for 66 of the 83 brands of bottled and sachet water sampled by Aquaya. As they note, ‘the high levels of microbial contamination in sachet water samples in the rainy season indicate that NAFDAC regulations and enforcement are currently not sufficient to ensure their safety.’
With statistics and images from our streets, Light in the Water gives us a glimpse of an evening for two young pure water street vendors.
Light in the Water is part of our series of Chicoco creative image and text pieces exploring urban cultures and spaces through everyday practices – drinking and washing; writing and reading; making and eating food; walking and driving. Part 2 is coming soon. In the meantime, check out Reading in the Dark, Part 1 and Part 2.
Research References:
Kumpel, E., Cock-Esteb, A., Duret, M., de Waal, D., Khush, R (2017). ‘Seasonal Variation in Drinking and Domestic Water Sources and Quality in Port Harcourt. Nigeria.’ The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 96,2: 437-445
Kumpel E, Albert J, Peletz R, de Waal D, Hirn M, Danilenko A, Uhl V, Daw A, Khush R, 2016. ‘Urban water services in fragile states: an analysis of drinking water sources and quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and Monrovia, Liberia’.The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 95: 229–238.
