The Government of Liberia (GOL), through the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation (LWSC), has taken yet another giant step aimed at addressing the excruciating problem faced by residents of several communities in Paynesville city and parts adjacent, by the construction of a one million gallon water reservoir in the GSA, Rock Hill community.
Speaking Thursday, August 17, 2023, during the inspection of the project, LWSC Managing Director, G. Alphonso Gaye, commended President George Manneh Weah for keeping his reform mandate on course at the LWSC by supporting the management team to deliver to the people.
Gaye particularly lauded the President for multitasking during these heated political campaign activities for the impending October 10 elections, by remaining dedicated to his official duties and responsibilities as leader of the country.
He urged the jubilant residents of the GSA Rock Hill community to take ownership of the newly constructed reservoir intended to provide safe-drinking water to their community and other parts of Paynesville, including Du-Port Road, and parts of the Roberts International Airport Highway.
Gaye called on the residents to take full ownership of the facility and protect its infrastructure, including their individual pipes, fittings and meters, from unwholesome acts by unscrupulous individuals because the newly constructed water system is mainly beneficial to the Rock Hill community, which makes it imperative for the community leadership to participate in providing security for the infrastructure.
“For sustainable service provision to your community, this infrastructure has to be well taken care of and protected,” he emphasized.
The LWSC boss called on the community leadership to assist the corporation in curbing, if not eliminating, water theft which has the potential of stalling the supply of pipe-borne water to their community.
“Water theft hinders the sustainable supply of pipe-borne water as it is very costly to treat and distribute the water you see flowing through our networks; in this regard, we will leave our hotline numbers with your community to report this ugly act,” Gaye told the GSA community leadership.
He alerted the community residents to request the work order of individuals who will go into their community in the name of the corporation to execute varied duties, including construction, repair and connection.
He disclosed that the LWSC is aware of unauthorized individuals attempting daily, with some succeeding, in carrying out duties of the corporation for the sole purpose of pocketing monies that belong to the corporation.
Speaking earlier, GSA Rock Hill Community Chairman, Patrick Gbeyenoh, requested the LWSC to reconstruct its distribution network in their community in order to increase access to water supply and distribution.
He thanked the corporation for the construction of the reservoir as well as community kiosks or stand pumps, but disclosed that his community was in dire need of household connections as the community kiosk or stand pumps could not service the entire population.
The World Bank provided funding for the construction of the Paynesville service reservoir, its associated feeder and main distribution pipelines as well as additional works on the GSA Rock Hill inline booster pump station and eight-inch (8”) distribution pipeline.
It can be recalled that the LWSC recently received a US$6 million World Bank-funded major water express line to boost water supply and distribution in central Monrovia and parts adjacent, as part of the government’s partnership with international development institutions to enhance social service delivery, particularly water, to the people.