By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
The Director General of the Guma Valley Water Company, Maada S. Kpenge has said they would need to build ten new dams within fifteen years, but within five years, they would need to have four, highlighting one dam at Hamilton, two at Regent, and another one at Congo.
Kpenge made this disclosure at government’s weekly press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 19th of March this year.
He expressed the concern of them having a single dam (Guma Vally), which provides 95% of the water supply in Freetown, saying that other facilities like the one at the Botanical Garden, Allen Town among others are small facilities that are not functional during the dry season, which is the reason they are having some challenges with water supply in the city.
Speaking about the water supply project, he said they have been working for the past four years on having water supply at Waterloo, Mambo, and other communities within the Western Urban Area. ”The Government of Sierra Leone has funded the Tombo and Waterloo Water Supply project, and Waterloo is 75% complete whereas Mambo is 90% complete,” the Guma boss emphasized.
He went further to disclose that the Angola Water Supply infrastructure is 90% complete and that the said communities would be the first to have round the clock water supply.
Work for the storage of water tanks at Babadorie, he continued, is ongoing, but that it’s quite challenging for them, and as such they would have to store water during the rainy season. However, he said the current low level of water at Babadorie would be sufficient for use for the next two months.
According to him, Congo dam which is the oldest in Freetown would be rehabilitated, and that they have embarked on a series of maintenance of dams.
Though there is a plant that supplies water to Allen Town and Calaba Town, Kpenge said the two communities are currently struggling with water supply, but that they will have developed two catchments for Allen Town.
He said deforestation and human activities along water catchment areas are key challenges they face, that have affected the supply of water. He called on the government and the legislators to help them tackle deforestation and the building of houses in water catchment areas. ”By ourselves at Guma Valley, we can’t do anything,” Kpenge said, emphasizing that the main Guma system is under “serious” threat.
Over seventy thousand cubic meters on average per day of water is supplied, the Director said, but that sixty-eight thousand is being supplied due to the dry season, which he said is an improvement, recalling that around fifty thousand cubic meters were supplied in the past,before repairs.
On the spillages at the dam, he said the problem should be addressed, noting the demands for water due to the increasing population. As a result of the growing water demands, he said they have identified locations where dams will be installed. He said by August, the dam becomes full with more water wasted than the one captured.
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