The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr Hannah Isatta Sao-Kpato Macarthy has lauded Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) for embarking on a series of major water infrastructure investments that will greatly improve the availability of potable water across the Western Area of Freetown. The Minister made the remarks on July 28, 2026, while inspecting the newly rehabilitated Babadorie raw water storage facility and the upgraded Allen Town Water Treatment Plant in Regent. Both projects are scheduled for formal commissioning by President Dr Julius Maada Bio in the coming weeks.
The Minister was conducted around the sites by GVWC Managing Director Ing. Mariwan Kallon and senior management of the company and project engineers to assess progress and operational readiness. The works are part of the Freetown Water Supply and Aquatic Environment Revamping Project (WASHAERP) implemented by the African Development Bank and chaired by Dr McCarthy through the Steering Committee.
Dr McCarthy described the developments as “transformational,” saying they marked a major milestone in the government’s effort to extend access to safe and reliable drinking water to communities that have long suffered shortages. “We are making significant investments, especially in the Western Area, to make sure that safe and reliable water is delivered to communities that have been underserved for a long time,” she said.
The Minister was also updated by officials on the rehabilitation works at Babadorie which have significantly improved the raw water storage capacity of the facility. The existing circular raw water reservoir was rehabilitated and expanded from 60,000 to 72,000 m3. In addition, nine new steel raw water storage tanks were built with a total capacity of 60,000 m3. Babadorie’s total raw water storage capacity has been expanded to around 132,000 cubic meters through rehabilitation and installation of new tanks.
Project engineers said the expansion of the storage will give mountain communities such as Regent, Babadorie, Gloucester, Leicester, IMATT and Hill Station an improved raw water supply for an estimated 90,000 residents. The additional capacity should greatly mitigate the impact of seasonal shortages that have left these communities vulnerable in the dry season.
“Water supply is far more than just bringing water to people’s houses,” Dr McCarthy said after touring the sites. “The visit has given me an insight into the whole supply chain from protecting the source to moving raw water, treating it and getting safe drinking water to consumers and the technical expertise involved,” she said. She commended the professionalism and dedication of GVWC engineers, technicians and employees, saying the utility has continued to make the Ministry proud.
The Minister was taken through the treatment process of the Allen Town Water Treatment Plant from raw water abstraction and chemical dosing to flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and final disinfection stages. The upgraded plant now has a capacity of 7,000 cubic meters of treated water a day and significantly improves GVWC’s ability to serve Allen Town, sections of Calaba Town, and the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The Allen Town project includes a 12.84-kilometre distribution network and over 1 500 new household connections. Once connected, these households are expected to have regular access to treated piped water, providing safe water services to thousands more residents.
The works, Dr Macarthy said, are a clear demonstration of government’s consistent commitment to the improvement of Sierra Leone’s water infrastructure. “This is a major achievement for the project. “It supports the government’s development agenda, strengthens the mandate of the Ministry and reinforces Guma Valley Water Company’s responsibility to provide potable water to the residents of Western Area,” she said.
The sector minister and long-time consumer Dr Macarthy expressed confidence in the quality of water supplied by Guma Valley. “I can confidently say that Guma water is one of the safest sources of drinking water,” she said and urged customers to support GVWC by paying their water bills on time. She stated that income from customers is very important for the sustainability of infrastructure, improving service delivery and enabling future growth of access to safe water.
The Minister ended the inspection with satisfaction on the workmanship and praise for the dedication of the project implementation team. She reiterated the commitment of the WASHAERP Steering Committee to carry out periodic monitoring visits to ensure that the investments will yield long-term benefits.
WASHAERP, led by the African Development Bank, is investing in raw water storage, treatment capacity and distribution infrastructure to increase water security, reduce seasonal shortages and enhance the quality of life for thousands in the Western Area.
