Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has attributed the recent shortage of water in Abuja’s city centre and nearby communities to rehabilitation work currently being carried out on two of the territory’s main water treatment facilities.
In a statement released on Sunday by Lere Olayinka, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, the minister revealed that water supply will be rationed for about two weeks due to the temporary shutdown of the affected plants.
Wike explained that the two treatment plants were taken offline to allow for critical upgrades, while the remaining two facilities will continue to function during the rehabilitation period.
He called on residents to be patient, assuring them that the ongoing project is intended to improve the overall water supply system once completed.
To reduce the hardship during the Sallah holiday, Wike noted that the two plants under repair would be temporarily brought back online to boost supply for the festivities.
Providing more insight, the minister said the FCT is served by four water treatment plants with a total capacity of 30,000 cubic metres per hour.
These are divided into Phases 1 to 4. Phases 1 and 2, which are currently under rehabilitation, were operating below their designed capacity. As a result, the government awarded a rehabilitation contract to SCC Nigeria Limited to restore them.
He said the current work involves replacing key mechanical and electrical systems, which required a complete shutdown of both interconnected plants.
Though Phases 3 and 4 are still operational, Wike pointed out that they cannot adequately meet the full water demand of the FCT on their own.
While acknowledging the inconvenience caused, the minister emphasized that this is only a partial disruption in water supply. He gave the assurance that contractors are working swiftly to complete the rehabilitation project ahead of schedule.
Wike advised residents to store enough water for daily use, as a rationing schedule has been implemented to manage the limited supply.
The FCT Water Board, according to him, has begun alternating supply between Line 1 and Line 2 of the distribution network to ensure some level of service across affected areas.
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