The Owerri Water Scheme draws its raw water from Otamiri River started to function in 1985 but was officially commissioned in May 1988. The Regional Water Scheme was designed to supply over 40,000 cubic meters of water to a population of over 300,000 residents by 1985.
Its main Objective was to improve the organoleptic (Limpidity, color, smell and taste), chemical and physical (PH, hardness, conductivity, solids in suspension, iron, manganese), bacteriological (fecal contamination) features of the water until it was made drinkable. The plant therefore was designed to subject the raw water to successive series of various treatments, each one made in a single plant section with specific and defined aim.