Sierra Leone: Promoting the water sector particularly in the regional areas, the Managing Director of the Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) Ing. George Lamin Vandi on Tuesday 13th April 2021 disclosed that government has invested a total of over $80m on water projects across the country in three years.
According to him SALWACO has been in existence since 2001 when the House of Parliament enacted it into law despite being in operations since the Colonial era providing water for the people. He disclosed that the 2017 Act provides for the Company to develop and manage a water scheme, give support to local council in rural water supplies, give technical support, adopt sound commercial services and also regulate the water sector.
He disclosed that the 2001 Act makes provision for six water stations in six communities including Kenema, Bo, Koidu, Makeni, Yengema and Lungi in various districts and were later expanded to some other districts in the 2017 Act to forty-four communities, which according to him is part of the Sustainable Development Goals for the provision of sustainable and access to safe drinking water.
“The Bonthe Island water supply project is $12m, the six towns water supply projects which will commence very soon is $57m, the 100 solar power bore holes that is 80 percent complete is $3m, construction and rehabilitation of water facilities of bore holes and gravity systems $3.5m, the component that Government will be spending on another project is $0.6m, we are now doing the balancing reservoir in Makeni is $3.9m and the ECOWAS deport in Lungi is $0.14m all totaling to $80.14m” he said, assuring that they are 100 percent government funded projects.
The SALWACO Managing Director confirmed that their effective performance would directly contribute towards the President’s agenda of human capital development, reduce poverty, promotion of various communities, boost education, health and growth, increase life expectancy among others.
He disclosed that currently there are three treatment plants supplying water to Bo, Kenema and Makeni together with water kiosks under the Rural Water Supply Project, disclosing that they have also rehabilitated 1,583 water sources, hand dug well with a target of 466 among which 80 percent is complete, over 100 bore holes in various communities among other projects that were funded by development partners.
According to him, Management is currently putting a maintenance regime in place to ensure they are on top of the situation, which is one of the major challenges affecting almost every sector, explaining that SALWACO is gradually moving towards using the pre-paid meter system as a way of ensuring efficient and effective payment system of water usage.
According to the Acting SALWACO Board Chairman, Badamasi Savage, the operations of the Company are technical which requires technical experience, disclosing that the Company was facing series of challenges due to lack of technical leadership. He commended the appointment of the current MD who is an Engineer with vast knowledge in the sector.
Deputy Managing Director Albert Harrison Harvey, maintained that engagement with the media is for them to be accountable to the public for the resources assigned to them to perform within the last three years, stating that the purpose of the event is to unfold their successes and challenges.
He disclosed that despite investing huge resources into the sector people are still paying less for water supply, maintaining that illegal connections affect their ability to perform effectively, calling in members of the public to refrain from such act as part of their National duties.
AMK/14/04/2021