By: Aminata Sesay
The Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) is targeting a 30 percent reduction in non-revenue water and an increase in revenue collection to 85 percent as part of its FY2027 plan to improve water service delivery and strengthen its financial sustainability.
The targets were outlined by SALWACO Deputy Managing Director, Dr Albert Harrison Harvey, during the company’s FY2027 budget discussions, where he presented its performance, challenges and development priorities.
Dr. Harvey said SALWACO currently has about 10,580 registered customers, with approximately 90 percent of its operational areas covered by metering systems. However, he identified revenue collection as a major challenge, noting that the current collection rate stands at about 45 percent.
For FY2027, the company aims to increase revenue collection to 85 percent while reducing non-revenue water by 30 percent.
Non-revenue water refers to water produced and supplied by a utility but lost through leakages, illegal connections, inaccurate metering and other factors without generating corresponding revenue.
To improve collection efficiency, SALWACO has introduced the Smart Customer Management System (Smart CMS), an automated billing and payment platform that enables customers to receive and pay their water bills remotely.
Dr. Harvey said the company was also strengthening its approach to outstanding bills, with customers generally not expected to accumulate arrears beyond 90 days before action is taken against persistent defaulters.
The measures come amid an increase in SALWACO’s internally generated revenue, which rose from approximately Le5.1 billion in 2023 to Le8.2 billion in 2024 and Le9.4 billion in 2025.
The company generated about Le6.85 billion in the first half of 2026. Dr. Harvey said collections could reach between Le12 billion and Le13 billion by the end of the year, although improved collection efficiency would be required to achieve the FY2027 revenue target of Le17 billion.
He said strengthening internally generated revenue was important because the current water tariff, approved in 2022 at about Le5, 000 per cubic metre, has remained unchanged despite increases in the cost of electricity, fuel and other operational inputs.
Alongside revenue reforms, SALWACO is pursuing infrastructure investments aimed at increasing water production, storage and distribution capacity.
The company currently has 44 projects in its portfolio. Of these, 15 are progressing normally, while 18 face implementation challenges, mainly due to funding constraints. Eleven projects have stalled, with contractors having demobilized from sites for extended periods.
Dr. Harvey appealed to the Ministry of Finance to facilitate payments for projects that have reached advanced stages to enable SALWACO to complete and commission critical water infrastructure.
Priority projects include interventions in Bo, Makeni, Moyamba, Kambia, Kabala, Kenema and Magburaka, as well as the Bonthe Water Supply Project.
In Bonthe, SALWACO has restored water supply and is working towards installing and operationalizing a desalination plant by the end of 2026, subject to the necessary arrangements.
The Makeni Balancing Reservoir Project is also being prioritized. Supported by the African Development Bank, with funding from the Government of Singapore, the project is expected to increase water-storage capacity and improve the efficiency of the city’s water-supply system.
Dr. Harvey explained that the existing reservoir has limited capacity, requiring the system to operate almost continuously to meet demand. Additional storage would allow treated water to be pumped into the reservoir before distribution to consumers.
In Bo, SALWACO is working to complete and commission the water-supply project by the end of 2026, while the Moyamba project is also at an advanced stage. Work is continuing on the Kambia Water Supply Project, while pumping tests have been conducted in Kabala as part of the final stages of project development.
The company is also pursuing the expansion of the Magburaka water-supply system.
In addition to infrastructure development, SALWACO is implementing internal reforms following a 100-day nationwide assessment of its operations.
According to Dr. Harvey, the assessment produced a diagnostic report of more than 100 pages, which has since been published and validated. Management has also approved the SALWACO Strategic Development Plan 2026–2030 and commenced preliminary work to review the legal framework governing the company.
The reforms also include strengthening internal controls, accountability and compliance, while management works to address outstanding audit matters.
SALWACO’s FY2027 strategy therefore combines efforts to reduce water losses, improve revenue collection and expand digital payment systems with investments in water infrastructure and corporate governance as the company seeks to improve the sustainability and reliability of water services nationwide.