Lagos’ Proposed Wastewater Charges Put Sustainability of Urban Sanitation Under the Spotlight

Lagos State is taking another step towards reforming how wastewater and faecal sludge are managed across the state, with the government proposing new rates and charges for wastewater and faecal sludge management services.

The proposal was presented by the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) during an engagement with the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) in Alausa, Ikeja. According to the state, the proposed framework is intended to strengthen regulation, improve service delivery and establish a more transparent and sustainable financial structure for wastewater and faecal sludge management.

But beyond the immediate question of what property owners, businesses, facility managers and service providers may eventually have to pay, the development raises a broader sustainability question:

Can Lagos turn wastewater management from a persistent urban environmental challenge into a properly financed, regulated and accountable system?

That question is becoming increasingly important as the state’s population grows and the demand for sanitation infrastructure continues to increase.

According to figures cited by the Lagos State Government, Lagos generates about 2.2 million cubic metres of untreated domestic wastewater every day.

At that scale, wastewater management is no longer simply a sanitation issue. It is an environmental, public-health, infrastructure and governance issue with direct implications for the sustainability of one of Africa’s largest urban centres.

Beyond Waste: Why Wastewater Matters to Sustainable Development

Wastewater is often treated as something that needs to be removed from homes, offices, commercial facilities and industrial sites.

But what happens after it leaves those properties is just as important.

When wastewater and faecal sludge are poorly collected, transported, treated or disposed of, the consequences can extend into waterways, communities and ecosystems. Untreated discharge can contribute to pollution and create conditions that threaten public health.

This makes wastewater management an important part of sustainable urban development.

The LSWMO itself describes its mandate around effective wastewater and faecal sludge management, public-health protection, environmental preservation and sustainable urban growth. Its responsibilities include regulation of wastewater facilities, licensing and permits, oversight of sewage infrastructure and environmental compliance.

The proposed rates should therefore be viewed within this wider context.

A properly designed wastewater tariff can potentially provide a more predictable financial basis for planning and delivering services. It can also help establish clearer expectations for users, service providers and regulators.

However, simply introducing a charge does not automatically create a sustainable wastewater system.

The real test will be what the framework enables the state to achieve.

The Real Question Is What the Charges Will Deliver

For residents and businesses, the introduction of new charges will naturally raise questions about cost.

But from a sustainability perspective, an equally important question is what users receive in return.

If property owners and businesses are expected to pay for wastewater-related services, the long-term objective should be a system with stronger infrastructure, better treatment capacity, improved monitoring and more effective enforcement.

LSWMO General Manager, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi, said the proposed rates are considered critical to developing a sustainable wastewater management system as Lagos experiences population growth, increased wastewater generation and the need for improved compliance with environmental and sanitation standards.

He also said the proposed framework would provide greater clarity for property owners, businesses, facility managers and service providers while strengthening accountability across the wastewater value chain.

That value-chain approach is important.

Wastewater management does not end when a septic tank is emptied or wastewater leaves a property. It involves collection, transportation, treatment, disposal, monitoring and compliance.

Weaknesses at any point in that chain can undermine the entire system.

For Lagos, therefore, a sustainable financing framework needs to work alongside infrastructure development and effective regulation.

Regulation Must Translate Into Environmental Outcomes

The proposed framework is also arriving against the backdrop of increased enforcement of wastewater-related environmental violations in Lagos.

In September 2025, LSWMO sealed EMCEL Court Phase I and Well Stock Apartments on Lantana Avenue in Ikota GRA, Eti-Osa, over alleged illegal discharge of wastewater into public drains and the environment.

The state said the untreated discharge created environmental and health risks.

The enforcement action illustrates the challenge facing the state.

Rules are only meaningful when there is capacity to enforce them. But enforcement alone is also insufficient.

A functioning environmental-management system needs a combination of clear regulations, accessible compliance pathways, adequate infrastructure, monitoring, enforcement and accountability.

Businesses and property owners must know what is expected of them and have practical options for complying with those requirements.

At the same time, regulators need sufficient capacity to monitor operators and ensure that wastewater is not simply moved from one location to another without appropriate treatment.

This is where the proposed rates could become significant.

If the framework creates a predictable basis for financing and regulating wastewater services, it could potentially strengthen the broader system.

If it becomes primarily another cost imposed on users without corresponding improvements in service delivery and environmental outcomes, its sustainability value would be much harder to establish.

Businesses Will Have a Role to Play

The implications also extend beyond individual households.

Lagos’ commercial and industrial landscape includes hotels, hospitals, residential estates, factories, offices, shopping centres, restaurants and other facilities that generate wastewater as part of their operations.

For these organisations, wastewater management can no longer be viewed simply as a facilities-management issue.

It is increasingly part of environmental responsibility.

For companies with significant environmental footprints, the way wastewater is generated, treated and discharged can form part of their broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.

Responsible wastewater management can reduce environmental risks, support regulatory compliance and demonstrate that sustainability commitments extend beyond corporate reports and public statements.

A clearer regulatory environment could also provide businesses with greater certainty.

LSWMO says the proposed framework is expected to provide a more predictable basis for planning, monitoring and delivering wastewater and faecal sludge management services.

That predictability can matter to businesses making decisions about facilities, compliance investments and environmental management.

But it also means companies will need to take their responsibilities seriously.

A stronger regulatory framework could make it increasingly difficult for organisations to treat wastewater compliance as an afterthought.

Affordability Will Be Just as Important as Regulation

There is, however, another side to the sustainability conversation.

Environmental policies must consider not only what is technically desirable but also what is socially and economically workable.

Any new wastewater charges will affect different users differently.

Large commercial facilities may have greater capacity to absorb additional costs than smaller businesses or households. The structure of the proposed rates will therefore matter.

Questions around affordability, fairness and proportionality will need to be considered as the proposal moves through the approval process.

The objective should be to establish a system where users contribute appropriately to the cost of managing wastewater while ensuring that the financial burden does not discourage compliance or create incentives for illegal disposal.

Transparency will also be critical.

If people are paying for wastewater management, there needs to be confidence that the money supports the system it is intended to strengthen.

That means accountability around infrastructure, service delivery, licensing, monitoring and enforcement will be essential.

Lagos Needs Infrastructure to Match the Ambition

The scale of Lagos’ wastewater challenge means regulation cannot operate independently of infrastructure.

A city generating millions of cubic metres of domestic wastewater requires adequate treatment facilities, transportation systems, collection networks, monitoring capacity and properly managed disposal or reuse systems.

The LSWMO says it is responsible for developing and overseeing wastewater infrastructure across the state, while its current programmes include treatment facilities and rehabilitation projects.

The proposed charges could potentially contribute to creating a more financially sustainable system, but infrastructure investment will remain central.

This is particularly important as Lagos continues to pursue a broader environmental sustainability agenda.

The state government has previously highlighted the need to close infrastructure gaps in liquid-waste management and strengthen LSWMO’s capacity to manage faecal sludge, reduce environmental pollution and address waterborne diseases through strategic partnerships.

The latest proposal therefore fits into a larger effort to reposition wastewater management as part of environmental governance and sustainable urban development.

A Governance Issue, Not Just a Sanitation Issue

Perhaps the most important aspect of the proposed charges is what they say about the evolution of environmental governance in Lagos.

For years, waste management discussions have often focused on collection and disposal.

But sustainable cities require a more comprehensive approach.

Wastewater must be managed throughout its lifecycle. Regulations must be clear. Operators must be accountable. Infrastructure must be maintained. Environmental standards must be monitored. And citizens and businesses must understand their responsibilities.

That requires coordination between government agencies, private operators, businesses, property owners and communities.

The engagement between LSWMO and LASWARCO is part of that institutional coordination. The agencies say the objective is to establish clear, equitable and enforceable provisions for wastewater and faecal sludge management services.

That coordination will become even more important if the proposed framework moves forward.

The Opportunity for a More Circular Wastewater System

There is also an opportunity to think beyond simply treating wastewater as something that needs to be discarded.

Globally, wastewater is increasingly being viewed as a potential resource.

With appropriate technology and safeguards, treated wastewater can potentially be reused for certain purposes, while treatment processes can create opportunities for resource recovery, including energy and other useful materials.

LSWMO itself highlights resource recovery and sustainability as part of its broader wastewater-management approach.

For Lagos, developing this kind of approach could eventually reduce pressure on water resources, improve environmental outcomes and create new opportunities for innovation and private-sector participation.

But such ambitions require investment, technical capacity and strong environmental safeguards.

The proposed rates could form part of the financial foundation for such a transition if the framework is designed with long-term sustainability in mind.

What Happens Next Will Matter Most

For now, the proposed wastewater and faecal sludge rates are not yet final.

Following the technical and regulatory engagement, the proposal is expected to proceed for further legislative presentation and consideration before the required approval and gazetting process.

That process provides an opportunity for the framework to be examined from multiple perspectives.

The eventual success of the policy should not be measured simply by how much revenue it generates.

It should be measured by whether wastewater treatment improves, illegal discharge declines, environmental pollution is reduced, compliance becomes easier to achieve, infrastructure expands and public health risks are better managed.

For businesses, the measure should also be whether the framework provides greater regulatory clarity and encourages stronger environmental practices.

For residents, the question will ultimately be whether they can see tangible improvements in the quality and sustainability of the environment around them.

The Sustainability Test

Lagos cannot realistically pursue sustainable urban growth while wastewater management remains an unresolved environmental challenge.

The proposed charges could provide an important mechanism for strengthening the sector, but financing must be matched by infrastructure. Regulation must be matched by enforcement. Enforcement must be matched by accessible compliance pathways. And all of these must be matched by transparency and accountability.

The bigger opportunity is to build a wastewater system that does more than move waste out of sight.

It should protect waterways, reduce health risks, support responsible businesses, encourage environmental compliance and create the infrastructure needed for a growing megacity.

That is ultimately the sustainability test for Lagos’ proposed wastewater charges.

The question is not simply whether Lagos can charge for wastewater management. It is whether the charges can help build a system that is cleaner, fairer, more accountable and capable of keeping pace with the city’s growth.

For a city of Lagos’ scale, the answer will have consequences far beyond the next tariff bill. It will help determine whether environmental governance can keep pace with urbanisation and whether sustainability becomes a measurable feature of the city’s growth rather than simply an ambition.

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