Voinjama, Lofa County – Citizens in Lofa’s capital, Voinjama will shortly receive pipe borne water through a USAID funded project.
According to Lofa County Superintendent, George S. Dunor, the water project is a USAID initiative meant to provide safe drinking water for thousands of residents of Voinjama and its surroundings town and villages.
The project is part of USAID Municipal Water initiative to be constructed in three counties including Lofa County.
The Lofa County Superintendent informed reporters that the construction of the pipe-borne water line is expected to be completed and dedicated by or on the 26 of July 2017.
He explained that residents of Voinjama are expected to graduate from drinking from open wells and creeks and begin benefiting from fresh pipe-bone water.
The Lofa County chief administrator expressed happiness over the selection of his county as one of the three counties to benefit from the water project.
He disclosed that initially, Lofa was not one of the counties listed for the project, but said he was glad when the name Lofa later surfaced, but did not name which county forfeited their place to the former ‘Bread Basket’ of the country.
However, the question that remains is how accessible will the water be for residents of Voinjama and its environs.
The issue of the need for safe drinking water for the Liberian society cannot be overemphasized as vast majority of the country’s population still drinks from creeks and running waters in rural communities while most urban and semi-urban dwellers still drink from open wells.
Recently, the World Bank country report on safe drinking water for Liberia put the percentage of the number of Liberians who have access to safe drinking water at 25%.
Of these, more than 90% are found in urban or semi-urban areas.
This low percentage is seen not to be a surprise, as it dates back to the beginning of the country’s civil wars which ended in 2003.
Recommendations have been made by Civil Society Organizations and partners of the Government of Liberia to provide Liberians with safe drinking water, but much has not been done to address said concern.
Report by Esau Farr/Freelance Journalist