Louisiana, Montserrado County – Liberia’s water production system, the White Plains Water Treatment Plant (WTP), situated in Louisiana, Montserrado County has received a major boost intended to make its operations effective and service delivery efficient as the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, (LWSC) carries out its statutory mandate of supplying safe and affordable pipe borne water to the populace of Liberia.
This significant boost to the white plains water treatment plant (WTP) was seen on Saturday, July 1, 2023; a day that will go down in the pages of history, if not as the busiest day but one of the busiest days in the operations of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC).
At the request of the newly appointed and confirmed Managing Director of the LWSC Senator G. Alphonso Gaye, scores of jubilant staff of the LWSC in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 1, 2023 gathered at the WTP in an effort to give their water production facility a significant boost.
The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation boss had earlier rallied the full involvement of his workforce, including his four (4) deputies to assemble at the WTP on July 1, 2023 to begin the process of giving the Corporation’s water production facility a massive face-lift.
According to the LWSC boss, the provision of uninterrupted safe pipe borne water is dependent on the effective operations of the water treatment plant; which according to him must be the priority of all employees of the LWSC.
According to Managing Director Gaye, the water treatment plant must be fully functional with all the requisite machineries in a properly functioning condition while all the chemicals needed for the proper purification of the water be available, if the Corporation is to adequately deliver on its statutory responsibilities.
“We cannot sit here on Front Street without knowing exactly what is obtaining at the WTP and expect to supply safe pipe borne water to our people”; Sen. Gaye told his workforce.
The white plains water treatment plant (WTP) general clean-up exercise is expected to last for five (5) days, from July 1, 2023 through July 5, 2023 and during this period, LWSC staff will clean all areas of the WTP including the water treatment units, the storage facilities which comprise of both clear wells and the entire WTP compound.
“There is a need for us to consider all sections and components of the WTP if we must improve the quality of our water and also ensure that there is consistency in our supply”; the MD Gaye asserted.
During the five (5) days WTP general clean up exercise, several key components of the plant including its chemical storage will receive adequate attention so as to determine what is pivotal in acquiring the required quality of water to be supplied and key considerations will be given the treatment laboratory for improvement in its infrastructure.
According to the Corporation’s Managing Director, based on the advice of his team at the WTP, all of its storage facilities or the clear wells will be cleaned and disinfected in keeping with best practices and WHO water quality standards.
The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation’s combined clear well (water storage facility) of approximately two million and five hundred thousand (2.5m) gallons’ capacity which is the final storage capacity of treated water before being supplied to Monrovia and its environs through its thirty – six (36) and sixteen (16) inch transmission pipelines will be cleaned and disinfected during the general WTP cleanup exercise.
“We will leave no stone unturned as during our WTP exercise, all areas inclusive of our testing laboratory, filtration infrastructure and clear wells must be tackled”; MD Gaye mentioned to his team.
With the ongoing general clean-up exercise of the WTP, both storage facilities are receiving full and exhaustive cleaning and disinfection for the purpose of improving the LWSC water quality.
With advise from LWSC water quality technicians, all warehouses of the WTP are expected to be cleaned and disinfested while chemical residuals from both the warehouses and cleared wells will be disposed.
“we will get rid of all unwanted chemical substances in our warehouse and begin to engage our government and partners to have these disposed substances and many others that are needed to run a fully functional plant replaced” an optimistic and ready to work Gaye pronounced.
The former Grand Gedeh county senator called on his entire workforce to attach significant interest in the smooth and unhindered operations of the WTP; which he notes began with the activities on July 1, 2023 when several LWSC staff assembled at the WTP carrying essential brushing and cleaning equipment including shovels, cutlasses, brooms, wheelbarrows and water draining machines to jump start the cleaning-up exercise at the WTP.
The LWSC boss mentioned that the five (5) days general clean-up of the WTP will provide a significant boost to the supply of safe pipe borne water to the people of Liberia as all pumps, water production and treatment equipment as well as storage facilities will be serviced, disinfected and cleaned during the general clean-up exercise.
Speaking during the start of the five (5) days general clean-up of the WTP, several LWSC staff lauded MD Gaye for the initiative; noting that such was a necessary endeavor which must be consistently done.
“We want our boss to periodically call for this activity here at the WTP; several employees said as they jubilantly worked on Saturday, July 1, 2023.
Joining his staff to brush the grass and cut down trees, MD Gaye lauded his workforce for the massive turnout, which he notes was a clear manifestation of the willingness of the Corporation’s workforce.
“I am very happy to see all of you here today and ready to work, let’s do it”; MD Gaye encouraged his staff before the WTP general clean up exercise began.
He then cautioned them to observe all the safety rules and stay clear of prohibited areas of the WTP.
“As we clean, lets ensure we do not create mess, let’s work within the approved perimeters shown to us by our staff here at the WTP”; MD Gaye cautioned his team.
The start of the WTP five (5) days clean-up exercise brought together staff from two (2) of LWSC’s outstations including Grand Bassa and Margibi counties as well as all top management members and a good number of the LWSC workforce.
The Liberia water and sewer corporation has a combined water storage facility of approximately over two million and five hundred thousand (2.5m) gallons’ capacity which is a withholding storage for treated water before it is supplied to the City of Monrovia and parts adjacent.
It can be recalled that in 2019, the one million gallons clear well was fully cleaned and disinfected while the one million and five hundred (1.5m) gallons clear well was partially cleaned and disinfected.
With the ongoing general clean-up exercise of the WTP, both storage facilities are receiving full and exhaustive cleaning and disinfection for the purpose of improving the LWSC water quality.
