The Guma Valley Water Company on Saturday, February 26, 2022 concluded a two-day retreat at the Guma main dam at Regent outside the capital Freetown. The theme for this year’s retreat is “Creating a sustainable Water Supply Service in the Western Area”.
Declaring the retreat open, the Minister of Water Resources, Ing. Philip Lansana said government continue to improve water supply across the country with Guma Valley accelerating its effort in providing water for the capital Freetown and its environs.
The Minister said there are still many challenges in providing water for the city, noting that rampant cutting of pipes continues and people building on top of the transmission pipelines.
“We still have massive deforestation on the water catchment area and the more reason why we need concerted effort to deal with this situation. This is a big challenge but together with the management we are working towards that ends,” the Minister said.
The Minister noted that poorly supervised construction has also contributed to the problem as residents have indiscriminately cut down connections, which has left many homes without water supply, but that efforts continue in fixing the city’s water supply issues
Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of Guma Valley Water Company, Maada Kpenge said the mandate of Guma is to provide sustainable supply of water for public and private purposes, noting that the Medium Term National Development Plan cluster three states, the percentage of population with access to safe drinking water should increase from 59.6 percent to 80 percent by 2023.
He said Guma strategic objectives are to increase access to water supply, improve revenue collection and improve customer satisfaction.
“The Guma Dam currently provides 99 percent of the total volume of water available to Freetown. Daily volume of water supply is 70MLD while technical losses stand at 40 percent or 28MLD.”
The Managing Director noted that so much has been achieved and this include improved customer satisfaction; increase access to the service, chemical for water treatment; more customer complaints handled couple with reduction in technical losses.
Mr. Kpenge noted that in 2020 the Freetown Master Plan, a priority investment studies submitted by engineering consultant, IMC Worldwide, were looked at while noting that the aim of the retreat was to look back, assess progress and challenges.
He said the retreat was also for staff to better concentrate on the task at hand, adding that management wants to leave a legacy behind that including a model service delivery institution with happy customers and motivated staff.
Mr. Kpenge said the two-day engagement undertaken will look at various projects, including the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping project aimed at improving water supply access in the Western Area.
Mr. Kpenge however, expresses concern over the low rainfall last year, adding that if the company is unable to capture more rains then there will be challenges in supplying the amount of water needed for the city.
The Chairman Board of Directors, Mrs. Bintu Myers said the retreat is a milestone in the history of the Guma Water Company.
“We are here today to look at our weaknesses, challenges, successes and opportunities as we all know the mandate of the board is to provide oversight. Most of our staff do not understand the role of the board leading to negative comments by staff and the more reason why staff must be conversant with the company’s act,” She said.
She said the retreat is a new phenomenon in Guma, and that the board’s mandate is in line with the New Direction Manifesto of President Julius Maada Bio led government.
“The mandate of the board is to oversee the accessibility, safety, affordability of water for the entire western area. The board is also entrusted with the responsibility to provide strategic direction of the company and its corporate governance,” she said.
The Board Chairman noted that people who don’t have taps in their homes resort to cutting pipes that run into the homes of other residents to access water.
Others, she said, divert the pipes to their own homes, while noting that Guma is looking seriously to mend the situation by changing from blue rubber (PVC forms) pipes to ductile iron pipes.
She said the poor water supply service in Freetown has changed drastically despite the huge challenge of population growth in the city.
By Mohamed Konneh