Sulaiman Abdulwaheed, the Water Operator at the Jebba Waterworks in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, has commended Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led State Government for fighting water-borne diseases and addressing long-standing water challenges in Jebba.
He made this known during a media tour of the Jebba Waterworks facilities undertaken by journalists in Kwara State.
Providing details about the project, which was inaugurated by the Kwara State Government in May 2024, Abdulwaheed explained that the waterworks have the capacity to produce 200,000 litres of water daily. Of this, about 150,000 litres are supplied to an overhead tank from where water is distributed to residents at various fetching points across the community.
According to him, residents now enjoy access to clean water supply for about four hours daily. The waterworks, which serve only the Jebba community, source raw water from the River Niger. Then, thr water undergoes several stages of purification before being distributed for public consumption.
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“We thank the Kwara State Government for this intervention. We used to suffer severely from lack of water, but now over 1,000 people benefit from a steady supply of potable water every day,” he said.
Explaining the treatment process, Abdulwaheed stated: “We draw water from the River Niger into the pressure house where sediments are removed. It then passes through filters where it becomes about 70% clean. Since some germs may escape filtration, the water is transferred into another tank where chlorine and alum are added. It will be left for 15 to 30 hours before being released into the overhead tank for consumption.”
He, however, identified inadequate pipe capacity and unstable power supply as major challenges affecting optimal operations.
“We currently pump water for about three to four hours daily because the main pipeline cannot handle higher pressure. But with a larger mainline pipe, we can extend water supply to 12 hours daily,” he noted.
He further appealed to the Government to expand the capacity of the overhead tank from 200,000 litres to 300,000 litres, especially ahead of the dry season and to provide a standby generator to tackle power interruptions.
“We are very grateful for this intervention. The Governor has truly relieved us from years of hardship without water. However, we appeal for further support in these areas so that Jebba’s water challenges can be completely resolved,” Abdulwaheed added.
