Black soot: Rivers rain water is acidic, unfit for domestic use, expert warns residents

The residents of Rivers State have been warned not use rain-water in the coming weeks for domestic purposes because the water carries soot, debris, and unfit for domestic use as it has been contaminated by the black soot currently ravaging the atmosphere.

Head of Community Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, Dr. Kingsley Douglas, said that the colour of the rain water indicated that the pollution caused by the soot was still in the atmosphere.

He then advised residents of Rivers State not to use water collected from the rain, saying that its black colour alone showed that the soot was still in the air.

“We should use clean water for our domestic use. The rain-water we just had is what is referred to, in environmental health, as acidic water. The public should be wary of using the rain-water because it is dangerous to do so. It could be injurious to health. We should continue to use regular tap water. The rain water we just had is carrying soot, a lot of debris and the public should be wary of it,” he said.

Dr. Douglas advised: “The public should not use the water for domestic purposes such as cooking, drinking, bathing, washing of plates or clothes, among others.”

The university don appealed to the state government to properly sensitise residents on the dangers of using rain-water in the coming weeks for domestic purposes, saying that the outcome could be hazardous to the public and public health.

Meanwhile the black soot which started last year is still highly visible in the state, causing panic among residents. The governor of the state, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, early last month set up a committee to look into the causes of the menace and make recommendations to the government.