60 percent of water produces by FCT Water Board lost to leakages, illegal connections to water trunk – FCTA

FAVOUR ISHEMBER, Abuja

Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disclosed that an astonishing 60percent of water produced by the FCT Water Board are lost to leakages and illegal connections to its water trunk, as the leakages, are classified as non revenue water, amounts to N350 million to N400 million annually.

The General Manager of the FCT Water Board, Engr. Tauheed Amusan,  who disclosed this during the end of year briefing, said: “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.”

“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  call tank two and tank five and tank one and tank six, the original trunk you have on ground is three and four” He explained

“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.”

Amusan, Also hinted that the population surge into the Federal Capital Territory, may have stretched water distribution across the territory, as the FCT Water Board said its consumers has quadrupled beyond its carrying capacity.

The general manager explained that  the phase one of the Abuja Water Plan, designed to cater for 1.1 million people, is currently serving over 4million residents.

“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.”

In the words of the GM: “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.

When completed, he said the Greater Abuja Water Project will service 50 District of the FCT to meet the water needs of residents.

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