Wau’s water treatment plant set to expand

By Richard Ruati

March 28, 2010 (WAU) – USAID’s Sudan Infrastructure Services Project (SISP) is set to break ground this year on the rehabilitation and expansion of a water treatment plant that will protect the health of Wau families and help improve the quality of drinking water.

Located along the Jur River in Western Bahr El Ghazal, Wau is one of the largest towns in Southern Sudan, marked by rapid growth since people began returning home after the 2005 signing of the landmark Comprehensive Peace Agreement which ended Sudan’s decades-long civil war.

Wau’s rapidly increasing population places extreme strain on its existing water infrastructure, which is undersized and reaches only the administrative part of town. The existing Wau water treatment plant was built in the 1950s and currently serves 500 households.

The planned upgrades and expansion of the water treatment plant will benefit 100,000 people in Wau plus government offices and private businesses. This is twice the output of the existing facility.

“Investing in public infrastructure helps build healthy, strong communities for today and manage growth for the future,” said Joseph Akol, Area Manager of the Wau Urban Water Corporation, which is partnering with SISP to implement the project. “The upgrades to Wau’s clean water treatment plant will help ensure local families have healthier drinking [water] for their children.”

“We’re investing in public infrastructure to make sure it meets the needs of Wau’s growing and vibrant communities“, he added. “It’s all part of our commitment to improving the quality of life for all Wau households.”

The planned expansion of the Wau water treatment plant is the largest single water project funded by USAID/Sudan’s Economic Growth office outside Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan. The design of the water treatment plant has been completed by the SISP engineering team and preparation of tender documents is underway. A contract will be awarded to a qualified contractor upon completion of the tendering process.

With over 40 years experience working in Sudan’s water sector and still influential in the Sudan Water Corporation, Mr. Akol is well-versed in water treatment plant operations. In recent meetings with USAID official George Wagwa, the two discussed future plans for the Wau Urban Water Corporation now under Akol’s management.

Filters similar to those currently used in Juba will be used at the expanded plant in Wau to improve water treatment. The addition of new facilities will increase the plant’s capacity to manage the clean water. Upgrades to existing buildings and operations will help improve the plant’s performance.

“With the increased capacity of the treatment works for the Wau system, the Corporation should now embark on expanding the distribution network by using the pipes already in stock in their storage yards so that as many people as possible can benefit,” Wagwa said. “In addition to planning for more individual connections, the Corporation should also think of having water kiosks with stand pipes at strategic locations so that those with low incomes can also have access to clean water.”

“Together with International donors and partners, we’re renewing critical public infrastructure,” said Poulino Adam Naro, State Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development in Western Bahr El Ghazal State. “USAID’s support of this project shows that the American people are committed to ensuring clean, safe water for Southern Sudanese people.”

“The expansion of the Water Plant is great news for the people of Wau,” said Marcelo Daniel Sorour, Director General for the State Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development. “The new plant will meet the needs of our growing community and protect the garrison town from cholera outbreaks.”

Investing in the dilapidated water system by expanding the water treatment plant is the latest example of how USAID is working on the side of Sudanese families to protect their health and the environment.

USAID is funding the water treatment plant rehabilitation and expansion project through its Sudan Infrastructure Services Project, implemented by the Louis Berger Group, Inc.

(ST)