Ing. Mariwan Kallon has marked his first anniversary as Managing Director of the Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC), following his appointment on 12th November 2025, with a series of reforms aimed at improving the company’s financial performance, strengthening institutional accountability, enhancing staff welfare and expanding water infrastructure across Freetown and the Western Area.
Since assuming office, his administration has focused on addressing longstanding challenges facing the utility, including rising demand for water, ageing infrastructure, seasonal shortages, high levels of non-revenue water and financial constraints.
His first year has therefore been characterized by efforts to restore institutional discipline, improve operational efficiency and establish a more accountable, results-oriented management culture.
Strengthening Financial Performance and Revenue Collection
Improving the company’s financial position has been a major priority under Ing. Kallon’s leadership. Management introduced a Revenue Improvement and Bonus Scheme to encourage effective revenue collection, strengthen staff accountability and link employee incentives to the company’s financial performance.
Between January and October 2026, monthly billing increased from Le8.4 million to Le12 million, representing a 42.9 per cent increase. Revenue collection also rose from Le7.7 million to Le10 million, an improvement of 29.9 per cent over the same period.
These figures indicate improvements in the company’s commercial operations and its efforts to convert billed water into actual revenue.
Management also introduced performance contracts for Area Managers, setting measurable targets for billing, revenue collection, customer service and operational efficiency. Regular performance reviews have provided a framework for evaluating results and reinforcing accountability.
In addition, greater attention has been given to cash-flow monitoring, expenditure control and the allocation of resources to essential operations, maintenance and revenue-generating activities.
Improving Customer Management and Metering
As part of efforts to strengthen commercial operations, management has intensified the verification of customer records, updating of the customer database, review of inactive accounts and recovery of outstanding arrears.
Metering coverage has also recorded significant improvement. The number of metered customers increased from 8,516 in November 2025 to 10,216 in October 2026, representing an increase of approximately 20 per cent, equivalent to 1,700 additional metered customers.
Other interventions include identifying illegal connections and meter bypasses, reactivating flowmeters and level loggers, resuming remote and on-site meter readings, and improving knowledge of the water distribution network.
These measures are intended to reduce commercial losses, improve billing accuracy and strengthen revenue assurance.
The company’s registered customer base also increased from 31,361 in February 2026 to 32,374 in October 2026, representing growth of approximately 3.2 per cent.
Customer service has remained another important priority. Between July and September 2026, GVWC recorded 303 customer complaints, of which 281 were reported as resolved, representing a resolution rate of 92.7 per cent.
Management continues to strengthen complaint-handling and tracking mechanisms to improve responsiveness and customer satisfaction.
Staff Welfare and Institutional Discipline
Ing. Kallon’s administration has renewed attention to staff welfare and the working conditions necessary for effective service delivery.
Salary payments have become more predictable, with employees generally receiving their salaries around the 25th of each month. Management has also prioritized the timely payment of annual leave allowances.
Other measures include introducing a daily savings arrangement towards future gratuity obligations and establishing a contingency reserve to support improved financial planning.
Staff motivation has also been strengthened through clearer performance expectations, recognition of results and efforts to improve human resource policies, staff regulations, performance appraisal systems and professional development opportunities.
These initiatives are intended to promote a more motivated, disciplined and accountable workforce.
Infrastructure Development and Water Security
Improving water security and expanding access to reliable water supply have been central priorities during the Managing Director’s first year. He has maintained close oversight of major infrastructure projects designed to increase raw water storage, expand treatment capacity and improve distribution.
At Babadorie-Regent, the original Raw Water Storage Facility expansion under the African Development Bank-supported Freetown Water Supply and Aquatic Environment Revamping Project (WASHAERP) was completed before Ing. Kallon assumed office.
During his tenure, attention shifted to an additional phase involving the installation of nine steel storage tanks with a combined capacity of 60 million litres. He closely monitored this phase through to completion.
The additional storage capacity is expected to strengthen the company’s ability to manage seasonal variations in raw water availability and improve the resilience of water supply.
Meanwhile, the rehabilitation and expansion of the Allen Town Water Treatment Plant remain ongoing. Upon completion, the facility is expected to provide a treatment capacity of seven million litres per day, supported by a 12.84-kilometre distribution network and more than 1,500 new household connections.
The Mortem and Mongegba water supply projects are also progressing under management supervision.
In addition, the 45-kilometre WASHAERP distribution network is expected to improve access to water for communities in the eastern and western parts of Freetown.
These investments are critical to ensuring that increased storage and treatment capacity translate into more reliable water services for consumers.
Expanding Community Access and Protecting Water Infrastructure
Alongside major infrastructure projects, GVWC has continued interventions to improve access to treated water in underserved communities, including the installation of community water storage tanks.
The establishment of a dedicated Community Services Department has strengthened the coordination of these interventions. Similarly, the elevation of the Pro-Poor and Community Water Services Unit to departmental status has reinforced the company’s commitment to low-income and vulnerable communities.
Management has also strengthened collaboration with relevant ministries, agencies and local authorities to address encroachment on water catchment areas and pipeline corridors.
Engagement with road authorities and contractors has also been pursued to protect water mains affected by road construction, facilitate timely repairs and minimize service disruptions.
Strengthening Governance, Management and Partnerships
A defining feature of Ing. Kallon’s leadership has been the emphasis on governance and institutional effectiveness.
Management has reinforced departmental responsibilities through performance indicators, regular management reviews and closer monitoring of agreed actions. Greater attention has also been given to Standard Operating Procedures, internal controls and risk-based internal auditing.
The establishment of a Project Implementation Office is expected to strengthen the coordination, monitoring and oversight of the company’s investment programme.
Efforts to modernize commercial processes and improve project implementation also form part of the broader institutional reform agenda.
Partnerships have remained essential to addressing the challenges facing the water sector. In March 2026, GVWC hosted a public-private partnership training workshop with support from the African Legal Support Facility of the African Development Bank. The workshop focused particularly on the proposed Mountain Communities Bulk Water Supply Project.
In October 2026, Ing. Kallon led a delegation to Uganda to benchmark the operations of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
The visit provided an opportunity to examine best practices in utility management, asset management, metering, revenue collection, customer relations and the reduction of non-revenue water.
Looking Ahead
Despite the progress recorded during his first year, significant challenges remain. Population growth, increasing demand, ageing infrastructure, seasonal water shortages, high levels of non-revenue water and financial pressures continue to affect the company’s ability to provide consistent and reliable services.
The next phase of management’s efforts will focus on consolidating commercial improvements, expanding metering coverage, strengthening digital and customer management systems, reducing water losses and completing priority infrastructure projects.
The GVWC Strategic Development Plan 2027–2031 is expected to provide a longer-term framework for expanding access to water, strengthening infrastructure and asset management, improving financial sustainability, advancing digital transformation and building institutional capacity.
One year into his tenure, Ing. Mariwan Kallon’s administration has placed renewed emphasis on financial discipline, staff motivation, accountability, customer management and infrastructure development.
Although significant work remains, the initiatives undertaken during the first year have laid an important foundation for continued institutional transformation.
Ultimately, the transformation of Guma Valley Water Company remains a collective responsibility involving the Board, Management, staff, Government, development partners and the communities it serves.
The priority now is to sustain the reforms and ensure that improvements in institutional performance translate into tangible benefits for residents of Freetown and the wider Western Area.
One year of renewed leadership, institutional reforms and progress, with a stronger commitment to securing a better water future for Sierra Leone.