Monrovia, Liberia – The 70-year-old transmission lines that provide water to millions of people in Monrovia and other areas of the nation are in poor condition, which has alarmed Mohammed Ali, Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC).
According to Ali, the aging infrastructure is experiencing catastrophic leaks and frequent ruptures as a result of growing water demand and population expansion. The antiquated lines are unable to endure the strain of everyday use, Ali said Monday on the OK Morning Rush Show on OK FM 99.5 in Monrovia.
The water transmission lines, which make up our infrastructure, are around 70 years old. They are suffering as a result of the growing population and supply constraints. Our activities at the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) are greatly impacted by these difficulties, Ali stated.
Ali cited further issues, such as overstaffing, which he said has increased the company’s monthly pay expenditure to over $350,000 while client income is only between $150,000 and $175,000.
The LWSC also spends almost $1 million on water purification and over $700,000 on energy for its White Plains location alone each year. Due to the $6–7 million yearly loss caused by this financial strain, the company is now forced to look for subsidies from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
Ali underlined the necessity of reform in order to lessen reliance on government assistance. He disclosed that activities had previously been hampered by a lack of staff desire and poor infrastructure. For instance, because of erratic energy from Liberia, certain substations were not operating, and the water supply was erratic.
Ali revealed that regular waste leaks were caused by improperly maintained sewage pipes throughout Monrovia and the surrounding areas, which had existed for years. For example, there has been long-term neglect of the sewage system on Bushrod Island. Additionally in bad shape were the LWSC’s headquarters, as well as its warehouses at Sinkor and Fiamah.
The daily output has increased from 4-5 million gallons to 10.4 million gallons as part of efforts to enhance the water supply, mostly because engineers have been working longer hours. Nonetheless, there are still issues, such as the damaged municipal reservoir that supplies central Monrovia with a restricted amount of water.
Ali stated that after a government study and consultation with the World Bank, work is now being done on the reservoir, which has an initial capacity of one million gallons. Repairs are expected to cost more than $40,000.
Ali expressed hope for the LWSC’s attempts to enhance operations in spite of the challenges. The company has reduced leakage in important pipes and standardized Central Monrovia’s water supply schedules. The LWSC has also engaged the LEC to guarantee steady energy for water treatment facilities and contracted a vendor through the correct channels to supply water treatment chemicals on credit.
There were leaks everywhere on the first day we turned on the water supply. Reducing those leaks was our next task. At least we can now provide water on a regular basis as planned,” Ali stated.
In order to guarantee a steady supply of water and long-term operations for the LWSC, he emphasized the significance of reforms and infrastructure improvements.
