A multinational company, International Breweries, has denied contaminating the three rivers serving as sources of drinking water to several communities in Orile-Imo, in the Obafemi-Owode area of the state.
International Breweries in a letter addressed to PUNCH Healthwise and signed by its Legal and Corporate Affairs Director, Temitope Oguntokun, insisted that the company’s environmental and water treatment practices are both internally and externally regulated and fully compliant with both local regulations and global best practices.
PUNCH Healthwise had in a report detailed how the wastewater, channelled into the water sources, allegedly led to huge environmental contamination, threatening both humans and aquatic lives.
The report titled, ‘Multinational brewery’s wastewater contaminates Ogun communities’ water sources, destroys aquatic life’, was published on Sunday, August 27, 2023.
According to the report, residents of the communities accused the multi-national company of being responsible for their woes, alleging that all wastewater from the facility was being emptied in its raw state into the sources of their drinking water.
They claimed that the communities relied on three ancient rivers – Ereku, Yemala, and Yeke as sources of seemingly good water for drinking, cooking, washing, and bathing before the multinational company came to the area.
In separate interviews with our correspondent, they alleged that the rivers have been contaminated and not fit for use due to their murky-coloured look and nauseous smell.
However, reacting to the report, the multinational company claimed it had invested more than $10m in a biological treatment system to ensure consistent wastewater quality standards were met.
Oguntokun in the letter explained that concentrated organic and inorganic constituents that may be harmful to aquatic life are removed from the wastewater before entering any river systems.
She stressed that the processes are monitored regularly and independently by regulators to ensure compliance with quality and safety standards.
According to her, the brewery operation started in 2018 with a $7.9m investment in a state-of-the-art biological treatment system otherwise known as an effluent treatment plant meant to treat all effluents coming from the brewery processes in line with regulatory standards.
She said, “The objective of the anaerobic wastewater treatment plant is to remove approximately 85% of the total influent COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) respectively when sampled at the Methane Up flow Reactor discharge and to produce a corresponding biogas volume which is further used to power steam generation boiler; this is a further initiative to mop up the generated methane thus supporting the campaign against global warming.
“Without resting on her oars, the brewery has spent an additional $2.1m in the last 18 months to further upgrade her wastewater facility in line with the latest technology in effluent treatments.
“This additional technology has brought in a Membrane Operating System. The installation, although completed, will soon be commissioned with the attendant ramp-up. This will further bring the quality of the final effluents close to table water, an improvement on the slight turbidity (colour) which is of concern to the community.
“All effluents coming from this operation are not toxic, they are well treated and support aquatic life and other agricultural needs.
“In 2019, IBPLC put in place a project to build drainage and re-channel the water; the contract was awarded, and the site clearance commenced but the project was stopped by some community members. All entreaties and attempts were blocked by the community for upward of two years. This resistance was escalated to the community heads and the Ministry of Environment for intervention.
“Discussions are still ongoing to collaborate with the State Government to key into the laid-down master plan designed to provide a sustainable solution.”
On the malfunctioning borehole donated to the communities, Oguntokun said the company is investigating the performance of the borehole systems towards finding a lasting solution.
She further explained, “IBPLC installed a solar-powered borehole in Logbara community in 2019. Last year, our attention was called to some faults/malfunctioning of the borehole. This was attended to, and the borehole rehabilitation was completed in November 2022, by a community contractor, at the sum of N1,605,000.
“On July 14th, 2023, the community called our attention to new complaints on the same borehole which we were already looking into before The Punch Newspaper story was published. We commit to working with the community for a lasting solution.
“In September 2022, IBPLC installed a new borehole facility for the use of the Bajila Community; this unfortunately was mismanaged by a community contractor.
“Despite this situation, followed by complaints from the community members that the borehole was not serving them, IBPLC mobilized another contractor to the site in August 2023, for the installation of a new borehole – this work is ongoing.”
On other amenities provided for the communities, which she said was in line with the international organisation’s corporate social responsibility, Oguntokun revealed, “We provided a 300KVA ONAN oil-immersed step-down transformer and 415V overhead distribution line to Bara community and environs, which resolved the power supply (and attendant) challenges and boosted the economic landscape for over 1,000 inhabitants of the community.
“Donation of a solar-powered borehole to the Primary Health Centre in Owode Local Government area in 2018.
“Empowerment of 10 youths from different communities across Orile – Imo villages, under the IBPLC Kickstart initiative in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University.
“Between 2019–2022, 10 youths received training, one-year mentoring, and a total grant of N11.6 million to start or grow their businesses.”
