Due to the current poor state as a result of lack of investments over the years and limited capacity of the network in the east end of Freetown, the above project is geared towards rehabilitating the existing network but due to the fact that there has been increase in urbanization leading to more people and areas without network, expansion of the network to cover these areas will also be undertaken as a wholesome part of this project. The overall objective therefore is to ensure the deployment of a complete and active network system that covers every household within Allen Town, Calaba Town, Wellington and Kissy communities. Additionally, this project has as its focus a zero non-revenue regime where water losses from leaks are non-existent or very minimal through effective community engagement and monitoring.

• Provide additional potable water through Desal Project
• Have the capacity to serve more than 420,000 people
• Improve human security by reducing distances being covered to fetch water
• Improve health and sanitation of people in these localities due to reduction in health related illnesses
• Improve livelihood of school kids and women by alleviating the hardship associated with fetching water from afar

• Ministry of Water Resources
• Guma Valley Water Company
• Public-Private Partnership Unit
• Ministry of Finance & Economic Development
• Strategic Policy Unit – State House
• Environment Protection Agency
• Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources

The current network being maintained by GVWC is an aged old network system which has been around since the 60s and has deteriorated immensely over the years due to lack of investment. It is noted that most of the leaks in the transmission mains are not seen on the physical surface but rather underground. These underground leaks are only noticeable at bridge points (confirmation of chlorine is only noticeable after testing) which make it very challenging. Consequently, this situation results in significant loss of treated water. Additionally, significant portion of revenue is lost due to these leakages with the ultimate effect of Guma’s inability to serve majority of the population in the east end of Freetown.

It is against this backdrop that this project for the rehabilitation and expansion of the existing network line is being pursued by the Ministry of Water Resources. Also, this project supports the Sea Water Desalination Project as it ensures an effective system for the delivery of water to each household within the project areas.

• Delay in securing funding for execution of the project
• Inability of Guma to execute work on time and within scope
• Community disenchantment arising from right of way issues due to expansion of the network

• To increase access to affordable portable water supply   in Three villages/communities (Hastings, Kossoh Town and Rogbangba)
• To provide portable water at low operational and maintenance cost
• To Improve the general living condition of the rural people as a result of reduction of water borne diseases and low time spent in fetching water

• This Project is estimated to target about 46,000 people in Hastings, Youth Farm, Kola Tree, Kossoh Town and Rogbangba Community which will drastically improve on the water access and generally on the hygiene and sanitation of individuals, groups in those communities especially women, children and the physically challenged;
• The positive impact of this project on women and children is clearly tremendous as it will go a long way in reducing the obvious repercussions on water fetching; the provision of clean water will also reduce the incidence of water-borne deceases; and it supports Girl Child education
• Provision and Installation of 150M³ Containerized Water Treatment System
• Construction of 6 Km transmission mains
• Construction of 10 km distribution network and Public Stand Post
• Construction/rehabilitation of Service reservoir

• Ministry of Water Resources
• Guma Valley Water Company
• Public-Private Partnership Unit
• Ministry of Finance & Economic Development
• Strategic Policy Unit – State House
• Environment Protection Agency
• Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources

The government of Sierra Leone is poised to improve access to safe water supply in rural, urban and peri-urban communities in response to closing the gap between the population with and without access to safe drinking water. In this regard, the Sierra Leone Water Company embarked on a feasibility study for the reconstruction of pipe borne Water Supply Systems in small and medium towns like the Hastings Community.

Hastings is located along the peninsula, gained it name during the colonial era; the community was significant during the first and second world wars because of its airfield. Many of the people make a living working as civil servants, traders, farmers, police officers and teachers; others are stone miners, woodcutters and coal producers. In Hastings there is great ethnical and religious acceptance, majority of the people living at Hastings are from Creole, Limba, Temne, Loko, Mende, Fullah and Madingo. The population of Hastings is estimated at 15,054 projected from 2004 population and housing census. On the 11th of May 1941, the British colonial power constructed a weir at the hills of Hasting, a water supply project meant to supply water to the barracks and airfield. The system is still supplying water to Hastings and the newly developed communities along the peninsula. There is huge reduction in the quantity of water supplied by this weir, as a result of increase in the population of these communities. The availability of water from this source is huge, but the impounding dam is small to accommodate the high demand from increase in population.

Communities rely on water from streams and wells most of which are unprotected and usually dry up in the dry season. Population and other social activities have grown against the inadequacy of safe drinking water supply. Signs of potential rapid rise in social and economic activities are seen and it is believed that with the improvement of Water Supply, this potential can be enhanced.

• Delay in securing funding for execution of the project
• Inability of the contractor to execute the project on time and within scope

The scope of works proposed is both realistic and ambitious, because it needs to address all aspects of water scarcity management. Our strategy is fourfold:

1. Prepare interventions well in advance, so new water sources will come online ahead of the 2017 dry season.
2. Maximise the collective efforts of donors and implementing partners through well-targeted interventions and close collaboration.
3. Maintaining a flexible approach so we can assess the impacts of our work and make necessary adjustments to try to ensure demand-supply balance.
4. Communicate extensively with the people of Freetown, so they are well informed as to the impacts of the contingency plan and mitigation measures.

• Construction of 20 new boreholes and 20 rehabilitated boreholes/ protected wells;
• Tankering from three water sources to areas unserved by the existing network;
• Construction of four industrial-sized boreholes to service the Babadori reservoir and Brookfields;
• Construction of two solar powered boreholes at Mayekene and Baoma;
• Construction of two solar powered boreholes at Peacock Farm
• A comprehensive Rationing Plan including contingencies and triggers for various degrees of water scarcity;
• Repairing and monitoring the network in especially high risk areas to prevent created leaks;
• Potential fast-tracking of the GVWC institutional strengthening program to capitalize on dry season communication efforts and maximize customer registration

• Ministry of Water Resources
• Guma Valley Water Company
• Public-Private Partnership Unit
• Ministry of Finance & Economic Development
• Strategic Policy Unit – State House
• Environment Protection Agency
• Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources

This Backup Plan will be implemented immediately beginning November 2016, through the end of January/ early February 2017. GVWC and our other implementing partners have submitted high-level and detailed activity plans demonstrating that the full set of initiatives are realistic and achievable within the specified timeframe. The most critical and time sensitive activities include securing funding by end of October, and the tendering process for contractors. Another potential limitation is the availability of contractor capacity to absorb each of the proposed initiatives. To mitigate this and other potential timeline risks, GVWC and the MWR will be convening weekly working group meetings with key stakeholders as relevant, to ensure all actions are progressing swiftly towards the January/ early February 2017 implementation deadline. This will thus ensure adequate preparation has been made and the interventions are in place to operationalize all elements of the Backup Plan for the duration of the entire dry season, December 2016 to May 2017. See Annex II for a high-level implementation activity plan and timeline.

• Delay in securing funding for execution of the project
• Inability of the contractor to execute the project on time and within scope

• This Project is estimated to target about 168,000 people per day which will drastically improve on the water access and generally on the hygiene and sanitation of individuals, groups and communities in the Western Area especially women, children and the physically challenged;
• The positive impact of this project on women and children is clearly tremendous as it will go a long way in reducing the obvious repercussions on water fetching; the provision of clean water will also reduce the incidence of water-borne deceases; and it supports Girl Child education;
• The industrial boreholes will cater for low income communities that are currently not connected to the GUMA Valley Water supply network.

• Ministry of Water Resources
• Guma Valley Water Company
• Public-Private Partnership Unit
• Ministry of Finance & Economic Development
• Strategic Policy Unit – State House
• Environment Protection Agency
• Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources

• Delay in securing funding for execution of the project
• Inability of the contractor to execute the project on time and within scope
• Lack of groundwater aquifer studies to confirm water table

TIMELINE