PHWC Completes Four Water Plants for 1.3m Residents of Port Harcourt, Obio-Akpor

The Port Harcourt Water Corporation (PHWC) has completed the construction and rehabilitation of four water treatment plants in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor Local Government Areas of Rivers State, paving the way for the restoration of public water supply to residents.

The facilities, located at Rumuola, Diobu, Moscow Road and Borokiri, have undergone extensive rehabilitation and infrastructural upgrades under the Urban Water Reform (UWR) and Port Harcourt Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project (PHWSSP).

The projects are being implemented with support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Rivers State Government.

The upgraded facilities are equipped with modern filtration, aeration, water-quality testing laboratories and automated chemical treatment systems designed to improve the treatment and monitoring of potable water supplied through the public distribution network.

According to the corporation, the completed infrastructure is capable of supporting water services to more than 1.3 million residents across Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor.

The project also includes rehabilitation and expansion of pipeline distribution networks to enable the corporation to supply households, public institutions, healthcare facilities and commercial establishments within designated service areas.

The completion of the facilities is expected to reduce residents’ dependence on private boreholes, water tankers and other alternative sources of water.

The Managing Director of PHWC and Project Director of the UWR and PHWSSP, Dr Walter Ibibia, described the development as a significant step towards restoring a functional public water supply system in the state.

“This is not just about civil engineering; it is about human dignity, public health, and urban transformation,” Ibibia said.

He said the treatment plants at Rumuola, Diobu, Moscow Road and Borokiri undergo regular water-quality testing to ensure compliance with applicable Nigerian drinking-water standards and World Health Organisation guidelines.

Ibibia also said the corporation had established customer-care centres and metering arrangements across its four operational areas to facilitate connection of residents and businesses to the public water network.

He urged residents and businesses within the designated service zones in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor to commence the process of connecting to the utility mains.

The PHWC management further appealed to community leaders, youth organisations and residents to protect public water infrastructure from vandalism and illegal connections.

It also urged consumers to pay their water bills promptly to support the sustainability of the public water system.

The corporation said the completion of the project represents the outcome of interventions spanning three successive administrations in Rivers State.

The administration of former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was credited with laying the institutional foundation for the water-sector reforms through the Rivers State Water Sector Development Law of 2012 and establishing the partnership framework with the AfDB.

The administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike subsequently oversaw the formal launch of the project, engineering designs, procurement processes and commencement of civil works.

The current administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, according to the corporation, provided counterpart funding and support that enabled the completion of key pipeline interconnections and addressed right-of-way challenges affecting the project.

The corporation said the completion of the facilities marks a major step towards restoring a sustainable public water supply system in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor.