By Laurina B Lormia
(Cub-Reporter)
The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) has restored pipe-borne water to the Township of Caldwell Louisiana, specifically the New Hope community, after 197 years.
Residents have expressed profound gratitude and excitement, as the availability of clean water is expected to bring numerous health and economic benefits for the first time in nearly two centuries.
Speaking in an interview with journalists over the weekend, resident Prince Woods said they engaged the management of (LWSC) for the six years of former President George Weah to have the community connected but it did not materialize due to the high cost charged by the Corporation.
According to him, when the new leadership of President Joseph Boakai came, he visited the LWSC office and pleaded with them, and they gave him a form to fill and later told him that they would provide the technical manpower while he takes care of the logistics and others.
He concluded, “In no time, LWSC informed us that they were in the community to connect the water pipe-borne, and we provided the logistics and other support amounting to US$2, 500; we are doing this for the people of Caldwell and it’s our hope that this will extend to the other communities.”
Emmanuel L.Q Yantee, said since the end of the Liberian 14-year civil war, they have been drinking untreated water from the nearby creek, river, stream and opened well which sometimes causes illness and deaths among them.
According to him, people who can drink safe water in their community are those who can afford to purchase mineral water sacks either plastic or bottle, but other residents are affected the most because they cannot afford to buy water for them and their household.”
An 86-year old woman, Edna Moore Woods, appreciated LWSC for the initiative and noted, “Because the issues of safe drinking water has been a serious challenge to our community.”
According to her, since President Williams R. Tolbert brought water to their community during the old times, after the war all those things got damaged that up to today they do not have safe drinking water; they usually go to the creeks, river streams and opened well to fetch water or pay LD 50 for a gallon of water.
Rita Hines further indicated that, they had to send their children to the nearby creeks, stream, river and opened well at night to get water for them and sometimes they are attacked while in route by disadvantaged youth who take all their belongings, kidnapped and sometimes some of our children even get drowned.
Meanwhile, Mr. Peter Paye disclosed that, due to the untreated water they drink, they usually faced illness ranging from diarrhea, fever, fatigue, gastroenteritis and sometimes death.
He concluded, the community is so grateful to have pipe-borne water after decades and he added that, they even raised money on their own to get safe drinking water as a struggling community but it has been so challenging for them.
