By Stanley Onyekwere
There are strong indications that population surge into Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), may have deflected potable water distribution across the Territory, following quadrupling of the demand for its consumption.
According to the authorities of the FCT Water Board the phase one of the Abuja Water Plan designed to cater for 1.1 million people, is currently serving over 4million residents.
The General Manager of the FCT Water Board, Engr. Tauheed Amusan, made the disclosure to journalists during its end of year briefing, in Abuja.
Amusan said, “The whole water plan was designed to cater for three million people but unfortunately we are catering for four million people. What we have now, is less than 50 percent, and is less than stage one.
“Stage one includes completing the four treatment tanks, we have already constructed, doing six tanks which we have already done four, two are ongoing, tank one and six, and the trunk to evacuate to phase 3 and 4.
“When you do all that, we will have water available to 1.5 million people, what we have now can be estimated to cater for 1.1 million people”.
He also disclosed that an a whopping 60percent of water produced by the FCT Water Board are lost to leakages and illegal connections to its water trunk.
He however, classified the leakages, as non revenue water, which amounts to N350 million to N400 million annually.
According to him: “We have the capacity of producing 30,000 cubic tonnes per hour, because we can not compile, we just push 15-16 million. If you look at the cost of 16,000 MT of water, is about N750 million, but what do we get in revenue? We get about N250 million, which is a loss of about 60percent.
“It is called non revenue water. That is water that is not accounted for. It include what vandals take and other sharp practices which is about 60percent of what is lost in Abuja. Non revenue water includes leakages, which is global phenomenon. It is allowed between 10 to 20 million, but for us in Abuja it is over that”.
He further explained that when completed, the Greater Abuja Water Project will service 50 District of the FCT to meet the water needs of residents
“The Abuja master plan actually have what we call loops, there are eight loops envisaged, of the eight loops, since the inception of Abuja, only two has been completed, and the two are phase 1 and phase 2 and phase 3 don’t have reticulation system, which is the loop, it is this loop that has been awarded for what we tank two and tank five and tank one and tank six, the original trunk you have on ground is three and four.
“Whatever supply you have in phase 2 and phase 3 is an arrangement from loops three and 4, the whole ideal now is execute loops 2, 5, one and 6, when you do that you would have been able to capture about 50 districts that have their home designated reticulation system”, he stressed.
