Voinjama, Lofa County – Residents of Voinjama City, Lofa County, beamed with joy over the weekend as they witnessed for the first time in several years, the commissioning of a water treatment plant and distribution network that will supply 36,000 gals/day of clean, safe drinking water.
Report by Arthur Kowah, Contributor
The project, Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), implemented by Tetra Tech with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was done under its Liberia Municipal Water Project aimed at providing improved water supply access to 90 percent of the population in three of Liberia’s sub-divisions’ capitals, including Robertsport, Voinjama, and Sanniquellie.
The water infrastructures are going to be managed by local entities that are based in those counties and that have the financial and technical capacity to sustain the service.
In his opening remarks, Wondwossen Tefera, Contracting Officer Representative (COR) of USAID, thanked the local government, Tetra Tech, United Infrastructure Project and the government of Liberia through the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) for their supports that brought the project to fruition.
“It has not been easy to reach here; it was a very rough road. But we are very happy now that at the end of the day, we have a very good product that will really deliver safe water to the people of Voinjama,’’ Tefera said.
However, he outlined the challenge of management and sustainability of the project and called for collaborative efforts to sustain it. “I hope that those collaborative efforts we have shown during the construction will continue to be here. As far as USAID is concerned, we will support the outstation management contractor for two years to ensure success,” he said.
Citizens present at the commissioning program thanked USAID and promised to join hands in collaborating to sustain the project. Locals were especially happy that with this project, they now have access to safe and clean drinking water which is very affordable. The water is currently sold for L$5 for a five-gallon container at various distribution points called kiosks and is expected to make private connections for interested homes and offices.
With the completion of this project, an estimated 30,000 people will have access to clean water for the first time in nearly three decades.
Support Independent Journalism
Your support helps FrontPage Africa continue delivering independent, credible, and impactful journalism. Every contribution strengthens our ability to investigate, inform, and hold power accountable while keeping quality journalism accessible to our readers.
Support our journalism or subscribe to receive the latest FrontPage Africa stories and updates.
