By SALWACO Communications Unit
The President of Sierra Leone H.E Dr. Julius Maada Bio has hailed the Bonthe Water Supply Project during a visit to the Island and inspection of the project site.
It could be recalled that during the 3rd State Opening of Parliament, President Bio clearly stated that his government will provide Pipe Borne Water in Six District Headquarters Towns and Bonthe Island.
After the State Opening, a symbolic signing of Contracts for the reconstruction and Construction of the Bonthe Water Supply Project was done on the 6th June 2020 on the Bonthe Island in Bonthe Municipality Hall in the full view of the beneficiaries, making this the first time a Project Contract signing was witnessed by the people who will in the end own the project.
The President is visiting the Bonthe Water supply project with pipe-born water oozing from pipes after forty-five years absence of safe and clean drinking water for the people in that part of the country.
The Talk and Do President, during a conducted tour appreciated SALWACO on the implementation of the Bonthe Water Supply project.
Speaking during a conducted tour, President Julius Maada Bio said providing water for the people of Bonthe district especially the Bonthe Island was a manifesto promise and this has now been fulfilled.
“Bonthe Island now has access to safe and clean drinking water and this is happening after forty-five years without water. You will no longer be subjected to unsafe drinking water and children will no longer walk long distances to fetch water” President Bio said.
SALWACO Managing Director, Ing, George Lamin Vandi said the project started slow but is now approaching its completed stage and that the people of Bonthe now have access to safe and clean drinking water.
He said the SALWACO team is now erecting more domestic stand posts (taps) for residents who are eager to connect to the main grid that supplies water right into their homes.
He said the old degremont water treatment plant that was abandoned decades ago subjecting the people to fetch water from wherever they could, has been transformed into a safe water hub that now supplies water to the Island.
He congratulated the people of Bonthe for supporting the project, noting that with their input the project will be completed in record time and that the district now has pipe-borne water.
He said SALWACO water meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards, it’s cheap, pure, accessable, and affordable.
The Minister of Water Resources Ing. Philip Karimu Lansana testing one of the newly constructed pipes expressed satisfaction seeing residents on Bonthe Island fetching safe drinking water from pipe-borne water facility in the Municipality after forty-five years.
He said the Ministry including the Management of SALWACO are now delighted that safe drinking water is now on Bonthe Island despite the project has not yet been fully completed.
He said the contractors did a very g0od job and this is exactly what is expected of people that are given work to do.
The Minister called on the people to protect the facility noting that it is theirs.
“This facility provided is not free as some minimal cost will be put on the water, adding that for water to come out clean and safe it has to undergo treatment, pipes are bought and laid, staff will be paid, etc. This cost money and the more reason why the facility should be jealously guided”, he said.
SALWACO Board Chairman, Ing. Mohamed Alieu Jalloh said Bonthe is a beautiful Tourist destination and that the People deserve a befitting water facility that is clean and healthy.
He said as a supportive Board, they are happy seeing SALWACO through the Supervision of the Ministry of Water Resources deliver their work on time.
The Deputy Managing Director of SALWACO, Mr. Albert Harrison Harvey another Son of the soil was very delighted that he could now drink pipe-borne water in his own home and proud to have been part of the Management of SALWACO to see this done. The conducted tour was led by the Minister of Water Resources, Ing. Philip Karimu Lansana, SALWACO Board Chairman, Ing. Mohamed Alieu Jalloh, SALWACO Managing Director, Ing. George Lamin Vandi, Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Albert Harrison Harvey, Director of Operations and Maintenance, Ing. Abdul Ben Lebbie and SALWACO team.