Burst Pipeline Wastes Water Amid FCT Scarcity

A large quantity of water meant for the inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is being wasted through a ruptured trunk pipeline located in Kubwa.

According to reports by Abuja Metro, Kubwa serves as one of the main sites housing the storage facilities of the FCT Water Board, which is responsible for distributing water to several neighborhoods within its jurisdiction.

The specific pipeline in question, which feeds water to areas including Abuja Airport, Jiwa, Gwagwa, and Gwagwalada, has been leaking for over three years.

This persistent leakage has drastically decreased the amount of water reaching these locations.

An inspection conducted by Abuja Metro in the Gbazango-pipeline region revealed that the ongoing leak has led to gully erosion and has caused noticeable ground vibrations whenever water is pumped through the damaged line.

A representative from the FCT Water Board disclosed that nearly 60 percent of the water directed to the storage tanks in Kubwa is being lost due to this broken 1200mm pipe.

This situation of waste occurs while numerous residents within the FCT are experiencing severe water shortages. The board has attributed this crisis to low levels of raw water at the Usuma Dam.

Residents have shared their trials relating to the vibrations and sinking ground caused by the leak.

Kayode Ayodeji, who lives in the Gbazango-pipeline area, mentioned that his neighborhood has not had a consistent water supply for two months due to the crisis. He remarked that the leak, though problematic, serves a dual purpose by allowing locals to collect the wasted water for domestic usage.

Despite being a registered meter holder and paying monthly bills, Ayodeji expressed frustration over the absence of direct water supply to his residence, stating, "We use the water we fetch from the burst pipeline for domestic chores, but we have to buy drinking water from vendors."

Another resident, David Habala, expressed his irritation regarding the volume of water being wasted, questioning why the FCT Water Board is focused on billing customers and connecting new homes instead of solving the leak issue.

Faruk Momoh, a tenant whose living space is partially affected by the leak, noted that the pipe was already broken when he moved in three years prior, with the situation worsening since then.

"The hole keeps growing and the pipe is now exposed. I reported the leak to the Water Board office in Kubwa when I first arrived, but despite their visit to take photos, no follow-up action has occurred. When I returned to complain again, they informed me they were working on it, but nothing has changed since," Momoh shared, expressing concern about the potential for further sinking during the rainy season.

An FCT Water Board engineer identified the root cause of the problem as the improper installation of the Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipe. He criticized the construction company for inadequate excavation of the rock in the area and failing to provide appropriate sand support beneath the pipeline.

As the pipe settled against the rock due to vibrations, cracks developed, ultimately leading to the leak.

The engineer indicated that maintaining GRP pipes requires a specialized technical approach different from the maintenance practices typically employed by the board.

He mentioned that efforts to address the pipe issue in the past had been attempted but were never formally approved. Currently, he depicted the situation as a significant "head loss" in the water distribution system, which prevents adequate water pressure from being delivered to further communities.

Attempts to gather an official comment from the FCT Water Board concerning the broken pipeline proved fruitless. However, a senior official acknowledged that repairs of this scale necessitate the involvement of the Engineering Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), which has access to the required heavy machinery.

"We have reached out to them and are pursuing the matter. However, as is common in civil service, the necessary approvals require time to be processed through various offices," the source explained.