Governor Peter Mbah’s administration in Enugu State has focused heavily on the water sector, particularly to address the decades-long issue of water scarcity in the Enugu metropolis.

The key water projects and achievements include:

• Commissioning of the 9th Mile 24/7 Water Scheme:
  • This is a landmark project with a capacity to produce 70 million liters of potable water daily.
  • Its commissioning was in fulfillment of his campaign promise to restore water to Enugu city within his first 180 days in office.
  • To ensure uninterrupted operation, a dedicated 4.4-megawatt gas-powered plant was constructed to power the scheme.
• Revival and Augmentation of Oji River Water Scheme:
  • The scheme was reportedly augmented with new pumps to deliver an additional 50 million liters of water daily.
• Total Production Capacity:
  • These projects combined have reportedly boosted the total daily water production capacity for the Enugu urban area to 120 million liters, which the government states is significantly higher than the estimated daily demand.
• Water Distribution Infrastructure:
  • The administration is undertaking the replacement of old, dilapidated colonial-era pipes (like the old asbestos pipes) with modern ductile iron pipes to sustain the increased pressure and ensure efficient distribution.
  • A “Water Last-Mile Connection Project” was launched to systematically connect all households in the metropolis to the central water supply system.
• Water Galleries:
  • The government constructed 96 public water galleries (public taps) across various locations in the city and densely populated areas to provide access to clean water for households that are not yet connected to the main pipeline grid.
• Future Plans:
  • The administration has stated plans to eventually increase the production capacity to 200 million liters per day during the second phase of the water scheme.
  • There is also a focus to extend pipe-borne water to semi-urban and rural communities like Nsukka, Oji, and Udi.