Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are now resorting to taking tap water following an increase in the cost of sachet water, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey has revealed.
NAN reports that the unit price of sachet, popularly known as “pure water” was recently hiked by 100 per cent and now being sold at N20 from N10.
The residents, who spoke with NAN said they used to buy the sachet water with the erroneous belief that it was cleaner and healthier than taking tap water.
They however said that with the recent price hike in the packaged essential commodity, they realised the possibility of some of the sachet water producers may just be packaging tap water and selling to unsuspecting consumers.
Mrs. Adams Yinka, told NAN that life had not been easy for the family since the increase in the price of pure water adding, “we no longer buy sachet water since there are other ways to get clean and healthy water.”
“Some of these sachet water are not even clean, anyone can buy a sealing machine and just pour anything in it and sell.”
“Although bottled water is more expensive with the realisation that tap water can possibly be sold as pure water, some of us have to switch to bottled water,” Yinka explained.
Another respondent, Mr Hamza Jimoh, a resident of Kubwa, said “since water is a major necessity, buying sachet water is unavoidable despite the price increase.
“I still buy sachet water, considering the fact that at N20, it is still very affordable and though bottled water is healthier, t is too expensive,” he said.
He said boiling of water would have been a better option but the price of gas had also increased, thereby making it as a waste of resources.
