The Parliamentary Committee on Water Resources last Friday (6th November) inspected water facilities of the Guma Valley Water Company in Freetown to get first-hand information about the company’s operations, water quality and supply to the Western Area and its environs. The committee visited Guma facilities at Tower Hill, Kissy Pipe Yard, Babadorie (Regent) and Mile 13.
Chairman of the Water Resources Committee, Hon. Lahai Marrah underscored the importance of the visit, noting that the role of the Committee is to provide oversight on MDAs activities in the Water Sector. “We either ask you to come to Parliament or we visit your facilities to know what is happening. Guma has been doing a lot recently in terms of improving water supply to Freetown, we know there are challenges and that is why the Committee has moved to get first-hand information about the company’s operation”, Hon. Lahai Marrah asserted.
Hon. Lahai called on the government to preserve and protect the water catchment areas around the water sources for sustainable and quality water supply to Freetown as encroachment and deforestation are the two main challenges cited by the management of Guma Valley Water Company.
At the Guma Tower Hill Reservoir, the Committee members were briefed by the Managing Director Ing. Maada Kpenge about the ongoing fencing project to keep Squatters and Loiterers out and ensure that the facility is well protected.
The second facility on the itinerary of the Committee was the Kissy Pipe Yard where they show over 150 containers containing pipes, fittings and Braithwaite tanks materials. The Guma MD informed the Committee that the materials were bought under the Freetown Water Supply Rehabilitation Project funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (formerly DFID).
Ing. Kpenge said the DFID project is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 but that Guma has however taken possession of the pipes so that it can work on laying submains in various communities across Freetown to replace the numerous spaghetti pipes thereby reducing the many leakages in the city.
At the Babadorie Regent facility, the Parliamentarians were briefed by the Chief Engineer, Prince Moore-Sourie who informed them about the ongoing fencing project of the facility and the Freetown Emergency Recovery Project (FERP) funded by the World Bank.
Ing. Moore-Sourie stated that under the FERP, the Babadorie Treatment Plant will be rehabilitated by replacing Pumps, Filters, Generators and construction of a new Sand Washing Bay by Pavi Fort and that pipe laying works of 2.4 kilometres will be done by HDF to improve on water supply in the Mortomeh, Kaningo and Hill Station communities.
The Chief Engineer also highlighted the encroachment and deforestation of the Sugar Loaf and Kongo catchments which he said poses a threat for water supply to Regent, Gloucester, Leicester and surrounding communities.
The Water Resources Committee visit ended at the Guma Dam at Mile 13; where they were briefed on the operations of the Dam by the Director of Water and Technical Services, Raymond Awoonor-Williams.
Ing. Awoonor-Williams told the Committee that the Dam which supplies 95% of Freetown’s water supply was commissioned in 1967 and that it collects water from seven rivers during the rainy season. He told the Parliamentarians that the Dam’s capacity is 22 million cubic litres and that its height was last raised in by 1.5 meters in 2002 to capture more water. He said the height of the dam cannot be raised further and that funds needs to be sourced for one or two more new dams to be built.
Ing. Awoonor-Williams said because the Dam’s capacity is limited, Guma now rations water supply throughout the year on a 6-8 hours basis.
On water supply to the Western Area Rural, Ing. Awoonor-Williams said several smaller sources in the area will be developed under ongoing and upcoming projects to serve the community.
Making his final remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Lahai Marrah assured the Guma management of the Committee’s support at all times in the execution of the company’s mandate.
The visit was climaxed by a question and answer session.