By: Ilyasa Baa
The Guma Valley Water Company is currently reviewing its Master Plan for sustainable water supply dividing Freetown into four zones.
The Master Plan Study conducted looks at possible means of water sources and according to the plan, zone one which is from Sussex to Allen Town in the Western Rural costs two hundred and fifty million Dollars ($250 million) and the time frame is by 2025. Zone two comprises the mountain communities costing one hundred and twenty – five million Dollars ($125 million), whilst zone three stretches from Hastings to Waterloo tagged at $40O million Dollars and the final one which is zone four from Sussex to MacDonald’s costs two hundred and fifty million Dollars.
The Master Plan outlines that the final stage to be implemented by Guma is to work on the distribution system which the company believes will put to rest the issue of water distribution in the capital city and its environs. This aspect, the study outlines, will be achieved by 2050.
The Chief Engineer of the Guma Valley Water Company, Ibrahim Chernor Bah said the Master Plan has been completed but under final review before it will be launched by the President of Sierra Leone.
He stressed that they are trying to march up with the demand gap so that at the end of the projects, people get easy and sustainable access to portable water supply. He noted that the population growth is a factor for poor service pointing out that people continue to use illegal means to get water being a capital intensive commodity.
He said 95% of the water supplied by Guma is pipe borne, noting that the community supply system was meant to complement the high demand of water by the growing population.
Most communities in the Western Area lack pipe borne water supply despites several calls for action.
The unavailability of pipe borne water in many communities in the east end of Freetown is leading to unwanted teenage pregnancies and negative and poor performance of girls at school.