Akaki third phase water project secures funding
35% of Addis water is lost during distribution

By Andualem Sisay

Brigitte Girardin, Minister for Development Cooperation and Francophony pledged seven million euros for the next phase of the Akaki Ground Water Project and to control the waste that occurs due to leakage in Addis Ababa .

“We have decided to engage in the follow-up of the project. French Development Agency (FDA) will provide a new financing of seven million euros. This grant will help reduce and eliminate leakages on the ground water network,” said Mrs. Girardin at the inauguration of the Addis Ababa Water Supply Project stage IIIA, ground water Phase II.

Out of 175,000 m3 of water daily produced only 115,000 m3 is actually consumed as 35% of the supply leaks during distribution.

Mrs. Girardin inaugurated the Addis Ababa Water Supply Project on Friday, November 10. FDA and the City Government of Addis Ababa together financed the project that consists in the use of the Akaki ground water potential to help resolve the water problem in Addis Ababa . Nine million euros was obtained from FDA and the remaining 3.6 million euros was secured from the City Government of Addis Ababa.

“The project we are inaugurating today is a beautiful example of concrete cooperation to serve the population of Addis Ababa . It is also an example of partnership and co-financing,” said Mrs. Girardin.

The main objectives of the project include supplying potable water to the Southern part of Addis Ababa , particularly to the newly urbanized areas of Bole Bulbula, Lafto and Mekanissa. Pumping 65,000 m3 of water per day, building two more water reservoirs and laying down 50 km of water distribution lines in the new neighborhoods are the three major components of the phase II project. Presently in Addis Ababa 50% of the total population lacks access to tap water.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people and government of France and the companies that have done so much in bringing this project to this level,” said Berhane Deressa, Mayor of Addis Ababa Caretaker Administration at the inauguration ceremony.

Until very recently the supply of potable water for the city was almost exclusively from rain water that was stored during the rainy season and treated in the Gafarsa reservoirs with a capacity of 25,000 to 30,000 m3 per day, and in Lagadadi and Dire reservoirs with a combined capacity of 150,000m3 per day. These treatment plants were expanded and rehabilitated during the 1980's, and are becoming insufficient as they cannot meet the increasing demand of potable water in the city any longer.

At least 300,000 people were able to get water with the 36,000m3 per day of water produced by Akaki ground water phase I project. The ground water potential at Akaki was first identified in 1991 when the African Development Bank financed Addis Ababa Water Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) for drilling 25 deep wells. French Development Agency joined (AAWSA) on the project in 1999.

In a related development, Ethiopia and France signed a five-year partnership framework document for the provision of grant amounting to 700 million birr at a ceremony held at MoFED on Thursday November 9, 2006.

The agreement was signed by Sufian Ahmed, Minister of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) on the Ethiopian side and Brigitte Girardin, Minister for Development Cooperation and Francophony, on the French side. According to the agreement, the grant will be used to finance projects in various sectors that include water and sanitation, urban development infrastructure, and support in other three cross-cutting sectors such as justice, university research and cultural cooperation.

Mrs. Girardin also visited bilateral project on eco-tourism and sanitation in Gulele area on Thursday November 9.