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Saturday, July 01, 2006

WATER PROBLEM ADDS TO FREETOWN'S MISERY Residents of the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown, have another problem on their hands : Water. For the past week or so, the city has been encountering serious problems with water and now ressidents have been lining up to buy packaged water. The problem was first highlighted last week when a local newspaper provided pictures to show that the water level at the Guma Valley Dam had gone down dramatically. By then, residents of some parts of the city had started experiencing low water pressure. The situation would be worse in the morning when the water pressure would be so low that it was impossible for all members of households leaving for work or school to bathe. Some residents told our reporters that they preferred to bathe before going to bed so that they would still be fresh to go to work in the morning. By Tuesday, the water pressure had increased but the taps were running red and dirty water which was unfit for bathing , drinking or cooking. The water was so unfit for use that residents in some sections of the city abandoned the taps and lined up to buy packaged water. We will bring you more details.