As part of efforts to improve potable water production capacity in the state, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, on Saturday commissioned the 9th Mile 24/7 Water Scheme in Enugu which is capable of producing 70 million litres of water per day.
Nairametrics gathered this news from an official statement signed by Dan Nwomeh, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Enugu State Governor, which can be seen on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
The statement noted that the commissioning of the landmark water project was a fulfilment of Gov. Mbah’s campaign promise of restoring water to Enugu City in 180 days from the date of his inauguration.
To ensure that water supply is guaranteed to Enugu residents, Governor Mbah built a 4.4mw gas-powered plant, the statement added.
What Gov. Mbah said: “It was clear to us, that the status of water supply at the time was deplorable. At that time, there had been no reliable water supply in most parts of Enugu State for almost 20 years.
- “One need not be a rocket scientist to discern that few investors will be attracted to the state under such dire circumstances, nor can existing businesses expand to generate additional jobs and economic growth. If anything, these conditions are suffocating businesses and households and leading to unnecessary suffering across the State.
- “Faced with this fundamental issue, and considering the suffering of Ndi Enugu, it was only natural that we identified the provision of water as one of our first targets in the drive to execute our mandate and social contract with citizens of Enugu.
- “We also chose to give ourselves a target of resolving this challenge in 180 days not for the purpose of chest-thumping but rather because first, the issue is urgent. We did not want Ndi Enugu to suffer unduly for even one minute longer than avoidable, and, second, we saw this as an opportunity to galvanize Ndi Enugu for the tough tasks ahead and whip our administration into gear as quickly as possible.”
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Governor Mbah further disclosed the target of the Enugu State government of commissioning several new pumps in other parts of the state to ensure Enugu urban enjoy daily water production capacity of 120 million litres of water every day.
- “Happily, for us all, here we are, 180 days from that promise, commissioning this new ultra-modern water scheme with a capacity to deliver to businesses and families in Enugu 70 million litres of potable water daily and this is but the first phase. In a few weeks, we will also be commissioning new pumps in Oji water scheme to enable us to deliver another 50 million litres of water every day. This will give us a total daily delivery of 120 million litres in Enugu, about twice the daily demand of Enugu urban.
- “We are currently supplying water at appreciable pressures to Enugu municipality and I can state here and now that pipe-borne water is here to stay,” the governor explained.
Gov. Mbah also revealed that the Enugu State government was intensifying efforts to extend pipe-borne water to several major residential areas, which developed since the last major pipe-laying projects in Enugu.
- “In addition, the towns outside Enugu also have varied degrees of water problems. Now that we can see the end of the water issues around Enugu urban, we must now refocus to address towns like Nsukka, Oji, Udi, etc.,” he said, urging the cooperation of the residents in the payment for services and protection of the facilities.
- “Reliable water supply is not cheap! But I promise that this water will be far less expensive than what you are spending today on water tanker supply. We must be willing to pay for connection to the meters, which will be installed in our homes and businesses, and pay a fair monthly rate for the water we consume.
- “Second, the infrastructure that we have put in place, from this scheme here to the pipes going into our various residential areas, belong to Ndi Enugu and must be optimised. We cannot afford for them to be vandalized or stolen! Therefore, we must consider it our duty to look after this infrastructure”, he said
“In addition, the towns outside Enugu also have varied degrees of water problems. Now that we can see the end of the water issues around Enugu urban, we must now refocus to address towns like Nsukka, Oji, Udi, etc.,” he said, urging the cooperation of the residents in the payment…
— Dan Nwomeh (@DanNwomeh) November 25, 2023
