Why there is delay in restoring water supply in FCT – Water Board

By Taofeek Lawal, Abuja

The Acting General Manager FCT Water Board, Joy Okoro, has given insight into the delay in restoring water supply to some areas of the territory.

Okoro said the disruption in water supply was caused by ongoing work on a 1,800 diameter damaged pipe Phase 3 and 4 at Lower Usuma Dam.

She said that water supply to residents of Kubwa, Gudu, Gwagwalada, Airport and University of  Abuja will be restored as soon as the maintenance work is completed.

“The damaged pipe was fixed in 2014, and since then it has been working well, but recently water started gushing out and we shut down the supply in order to fix a new one.The pipe which supply water to Phase 3 and 4 was constructed to be taking water from the dam into the treatment plant”

The FCT Water Board had notified the general public and its customers that there will be an urgent maintenance work being carried out at Lower Usuma Dam treatment plant.

The general manager  however assured residents and customers that steady supply of water will resume on Monday evening.

She said, “It is not our making to take this long, when it happened we thought it was something that will be done easily, but because of where to get the pipe it took us this long.”

Head Distribution FCT Water Board, Engineer Abolade Lawal, while conducting journalists round the site, said the disruption of water supply was due to the damaged of viking joint pipe, which will soon be repaired.

Lawal blamed the delay in getting the pipe on the restriction of movement during the peak period of COVID-19.

According to him, full supply will resume as soon as the cutting and filing of the pipe, which is in progress is completed.