MONROVIA – After years of delays and decades of deteriorating infrastructure, the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) has finally broken ground on a major water pipeline upgrade that aims to transform the capital’s access to clean drinking water.
LWSC Managing Director Mohammed Ali, during a guided tour of the project site on Tuesday, April 8, described the initiative as one of the largest water system overhauls in recent history. The project will replace the aging 36-inch pipeline, installed in 1953, with a modern 48-inch ductile iron line designed to significantly improve water flow from the White Plains Water Treatment Plant to Monrovia and surrounding communities.
“We are standing on a project that will transform the water system,” Ali told journalists and stakeholders, emphasizing the urgent need to replace infrastructure that has served beyond its lifespan. “The old pipes have been in use for more than 70 years, so it was very important to replace them.”
The overhaul, initially funded by the World Bank in 2016, encountered multiple setbacks before construction finally commenced. The first phase of the project, costing $12.4 million, will install 10 kilometers of pipeline. However, LWSC acknowledges that an additional $22 million to $25 million will be needed to complete the remaining 15 kilometers of the planned 25-kilometer pipeline.
Ali noted that once the full system is completed, water supply to Monrovia will increase substantially, reducing shortages and improving public health across the capital. The project is scheduled for completion by October 31, 2025.
