The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) has launched a long-awaited overhaul of its aging transmission pipeline between Johnsonville and Harrisburg, marking a significant milestone in the country’s water infrastructure development.

Backed by a $12.4 million World Bank grant, the project is replacing 10 kilometers of deteriorating 36-inch pre-stressed concrete pipe with modern 48-inch ductile iron piping–a move LWSC officials say will drastically improve water reliability for Monrovia and surrounding communities.

“This system is more than 70 years old and has long outlived its lifespan,” said LWSC Managing Director Mohammed Ali during a guided tour of the project site. “Frequent breakdowns on this stretch have compromised service delivery. This upgrade is not just overdue–it’s critical.”

The current works represent the first phase of a larger 25-kilometer rehabilitation project, which has faced years of setbacks since its original proposal in 2016. Funding bottlenecks and protracted negotiations with partners had stalled the project until now. But Ali says momentum is finally on the side of progress.

Source: Allafrica