Kwara Govt targets 105, 000 houses in Ilorin under water reticulation project

Kwara State Government has said that about 105, 000 houses in Ilorin will be connection with pipe water as soon as the tertiary water reticulation is completed.

The Consultant of the Water Reticulation project, Prof. Suleiman Adeyemi, made this known at the weekend in Ilorin while briefing journalists on the status report of the project.

He said the reticulation project would be ready for commissioning on or before the second week of September.

The consultant said that out of the 13, 500 houses connected to the metro water in Ilorin, 3, 000 houses were active.

The professor said N6. 54b was spent on both the primary and secondary reticulation project, while the sum of N1.9b was budgeted for in 2018 for the tertiary reticulation.

Adeyemi said in 2001, World Bank commissioned rehabilitation project for the country to identify water need in southern part of the country and Ilorin, Omu Aran, Bacita and Patigi was selected.

He said that as at 2001, obsolete pipes banned by the WHO were still in use in Ilorin, adding that all the obsolete pipes were changed to the ones approved by the world health body.

Prof Adeyemi added that Federal Government built a new plant in Ada Dam while the state government refurbished the reticulation plant.
He added that 39km of transmission pipes were laid, while 44.13km of principal distribution pipelines, 11.18km of secondary distribution pipelines and 15km of tertiary pipe were laid.

The Consultant added that two booster stations, one 10, 000 square meters and 1, 570sqm of elevated tanks were constructed.

He said a total of 305km of tertiary distribution network made up of 110, 160, 200m HDPE pipes were projected for 2018 covering two third of Ilorin reticulation.

Adeyemi listed the achievements of the project to include doubling the treatment capacity in 2006 from 27, 000sqm to 105, 000 per day and construction of 4, 900 per hour high and low lift pump.

He also listed the achievement to include construction of 39km new transmission, 44.15km of principal distribution network and 26.75km of secondary and tertiary distribution network.

The Consultant therefore appealed to the people of the state to cooperate with the government in its effort to make water available in all the nook and crannies of the state.

He added that water project was not limited to Ilorin alone, adding that the project was going on in all the three senatorial districts of the state.

Adeyemi added that the various water works across the state were also undergoing rehabilitation to make water available to the people.