Ssonde: NWSC pledges to restore water supply after pipe bursts

The managing director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Dr. Eng Silver Mugisha has reassured customers in Ssonde, Wakiso district, that all is being done restore water supply to customers served by the Sonde reservoir.

This follow the burst of the water pipe that destroyed property over the weekend.

Inspecting ongoing supply restoration works at the new reservoir, Mugisha explained that the inlet pipe to the reservoir was dislodged as a result of a pressure surge that forced one of the joints to open.

Mugisha apologised to customers affected by the ongoing works and those inconvenienced by the spillage from the joint.

"We are working with the contractor to restore water supply in the shortest time possible and compensate those inconvenienced by the spillage from the pipe," he said

According to Mugisha, the failure is not a result of shoddy work or poor workmanship.

He said that defects occur during the defects liability period and engineers fix them.

He noted that the project is still under test and the incident has given NWSC engineers an opportunity to build capacity to handle emergencies on the new system as the contractor prepares to exit.

"We have installed water reservoirs on a number of hills for decades and safety of the installations and the surrounding areas is always our number one priority," he said.

The new Sonde water reservoir, part of the Katosi water project will serve over 30 communities in the Kampala Water Metropolitan water service area.

Plans are underway to gravitate water from the 16 million litre capacity Sonde reservoir to a new 15million capacity water reservoir on Kanyanya Hill and subsequently serve Nabweru, Nansana, Wakiso, Kakiri, Bombo road, Matugga, Gayaza road, Kalagi, Mukono, Buikwe district, Namagunga among many other communities

The director engineering services Eng Alex Gisagara said the utility has built capacity over the years to manage such emergencies.