EU turning on the taps for Monrovia

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s government is on track to deliver piped water to some of the capital's one million residents within months, the European Union said this week, fulfilling a major election promise to rebuild essential services. After more than a decade of dry taps, the head of the EU office Geoffrey Rudd said work to restore piped water had begun. "We hope in the next few months - within the 150 days deliverables agenda of the government - you will see water supply in Monrovia,” he said. "We have started repair works on the White Plains Water Treatment Plant already and the 16-inch pipe that was used to pump water from the plant into Monrovia,” Rudd added on Tuesday. Liberia’s 14-year war knocked out utilities such as water and power, leaving even the capital Monrovia without mains electricity or running water. Residents currently rely on water trucked to distribution tanks dotted around the city, which were built by the EU. From there, unemployed youths lug jerry cans across the bridge into town to sell to residents. They sell a five-gallon (20 litre) jerry can for five Liberian dollars (10 US cents). Since each cart carries about 20 jerry-cans, this means a water carrier can make about US $2 per day. Johnson-Sirleaf has made the restoration of power and water a priority for her new government, pledging to supply mains electricity and piped water to parts of Monrovia by July under a quick impact programme known as “the 150 days deliverables”. The EU, which is also helping restore power, hoped that “in up to three to four years, water would be supplied through stand pumps in most parts of Monrovia that would serve the various communities," Rudd said. Liberia's power system was knocked out in 1990, shortly after the conflict began. Two years later, battle damage stopped the flow of water from the city's taps as well, leaving most of Monrovia's inhabitants dependent on polluted wells, purified water delivered by tanker truck, or jerry-cans of water sold from handcarts in the street. And as most of Monrovia's water distribution pipes are old, rusted and broken, the entire network will have to be ripped up and replaced before safe drinking water can start flowing through the taps again. There are two main water pipelines into Monrovia from the White Plains water treatment station on the northern outskirts of the city. But currently 200,000 people in the port suburb of Bushrod Island in western Monrovia receive piped water at home. Technicians at the government's Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation said a part of the plant that was not damaged is presently pumping 1.8 million gallons of water daily for the Island. Once the entire plant is rehabilitated, it could supply 18 million gallons daily into other parts of Monrovia. The EU helped to repair the White Plains water works and provide emergency supplies of water to Monrovia immediately after the civil war ended in 2003.