The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has boosted water supply in Kitgum with the construction of a new pump station, which will pump 20,000 litres of water per hour.
The new pump station is expected to pump 20 cubic meters of water per hour once connected to the national power grid.
Carolyn Mercy Abonyo, the NWSC Kitgum Area Manager, said the new pump station will greatly boost water supply in the area, particularly in Pandwong Division, Pager Division, and beyond, which have been experiencing low water pressure.
“Currently, NWSC produces about 120 cubic meters, equivalent to 240,000 litres per hour, from six fully functional pump stations in Kitgum Municipality, but this does not yet meet the growing demand of the ever-increasing customers who are connected to NWSC in Kitgum,” Abonyo said.
With over 5,000 households currently connected to NWSC in Kitgum municipality, the new pump station is expected to bridge the gap in water supply. However, Abonyo stated that power fluctuations remain a major challenge facing NWSC Kitgum, disrupting water supplies in the area.
“Although we have standby generators to boost power supplies, power fluctuations continue to affect our operations,” she said. The new pump station is a welcome development for Kitgum residents, who have been facing water supply challenges for a long time.
George Amone, a resident of Alango Tangi-Agoro, in Pandwong Division, said that currently his family members have to wake up as early as 2 am in order to get water, which most time the flow does not last many hours.
“We feel abandoned by the National Water and Sewerage (NWSC) in terms of supply because our lines have no water at all, but when the month ends, the bills are brought to us”.
Abonyo hopes that the problem will be history once the new pump station is connected to the national power grid.
She has urged those residents receiving water to continue paying their water bills promptly to enable the corporation to maintain and improve its services.
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