Water Quality Regulations 2023.

These Regulations, made by the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, shall apply to use for any purposes and in particular regulates the use of water for drinking water purposes, water used for industrial purposes, water used for agricultural purposes, water used for recreational purposes, and water used for fisheries and wildlife. They are concerned with the protection of sources of water, including groundwater, from pollution. They set out quality requirements for all surface waters and, in the First Schedule, quality standards for sources of water for domestic uses. Water sources shall be generally protected for nearby cultivation and water abstraction (reg. 6). The Regulations shall protect groundwater sources by regulating the discharge and underground injection of hazardous wastes, fluids used for extraction of minerals, fossil fuels energy and any other substance having the potential to contaminate groundwater (reg. 8 and Schedule XI). No person shall sink (drill) a borehole(s) without a drilling permit (license) from relevant authorities except for personal domestic purpose. No person shall release any substance into or conduct any activity which will likely cause or contribute to pollution or adversely affect species of, the waters of the state, without having obtained all required approvals and permits from the Agency. Such activities shall include, but are not limited to: (a) Discharge of wastewater; (b) Discharge of pollutants; (c) Dredging of surface water; (d) Dredging and dredged material disposal; (e) Filling of surface waters of the state; (f) Construction activities; (g) Mining activities; (h) Any commercial, industrial, state or municipal land development that results in the creation of more of additional impervious area; (i) Point source discharge of pollutants (j) Any other activity that may produce a measurable change in a water body. The Regulations are also about water quality monitoring (reg. 14), industrial discharge and wastewater treatment (reg. 15 and following), and the use of wastewater for irrigation (reg. 21 and Schedules VIII and IX). The Agency shall prepare and maintain an inventory of natural water bodies and take measures including the development of environmental management plans, to prevent and control degradation of such sources Reg. 22). (24 regulations completed by 13 Schedules)