The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) through its Managing Director Mo Ali says recent rupture on the 36in pipe at the White Plains water facility is a little difficult to repair. It can be recalled that the entity cut off water supply to Monrovia due to a rupture last weekend on the 36-inch main transmission water line from White Plains.
It was barely four months since the LWSC managed to have restored pipe borne water to central Monrovia and adjacent parts in May of 2024. During the official ceremony ushering restoration of water to the city, Managing Director Ali said it was the first time in more than ten years that Monrovia’s residents would enjoy running water, which he attributed to implementation of part of President Joseph N. Boakai’s first 100 at a new version of the LWSC.
He said over the years, Liberians had to tote water in wheelbarrows and on heads in Central Monrovia but the narrative had been changed. The corporation also activated three fire hydrants around the Central Bank of Liberia on Broad Street and at the Liberia Business Registry.
He indicated that the fire hydrant is designed to provide rapid access to water during fire breakouts because the hydrant consists of pipes connected directly to the water supply main line. These events led to the outbreak of celebrations in Monrovia, as residents of Central Monrovia were amazed, some for the first time seeing water in huge volumes following through pipes and fire hydrants.
However, all this would soon come to an end when Mr. Ali through a Facebook post made the announcement on Saturday, September 21, 2024, stating that there was another rupture on the 36-inch main transmission water line from White Plains. He said the engineering team of the LWSC was assessing the extent of the rupture, while the plant was shut down thus affecting water supply to the city.
“We woke up to another unfortunate rupture on our 36-inch main transmission pipeline from White Plains. We have shut down the plant; thus, water supply to you our valued customers and the general public is cut off. We will provide you with regular updates on the situation… Working with an old aged infrastructure,” the entity later said in an official notice.
Giving updates on the situation on his official Facebook page on Monday, September 23, 2024, Mr. Ali said LWSC’s engineers had identified the point where the rupture occurred on the 36-inch pipe which is a little difficult to repair. However, he said the engineers will work around the clock to ensure the problem is solved, though he did not say how soon citizens can expect this to happen.
