
Launching Ceremony for Construction of Water Quality Laboratory
19 August 2016
19 August 2016 - Hargeisa
Hargeisa Water Agency (HWA) conducted a launching ceremony for construction of new Water Quality Laboratory at the HWA offices. Being the first of its kind in Somaliland, upon completion, the laboratory will be used for water quality monitoring to ensure that all the safety of water consumed in Hargeisa. Specifically, the laboratory will be used for conducting bacteriological, waste, heavy metal, full chemical and sediment analysis to ensure the water is of good quality for any intended purpose. This will ensure that the about I million residents of Hargeisa and Somaliland citizens in general have clean drinking water.
The launching event was presided over by Somaliland senior officials, including Minister of National Planning and Development Hon. Ali Hussein Ismail Jirde, the Chairperson of Board of Directors for Hargeisa Water Agency, Dr. Edna Adan Isma'il and the Chief Executive Officer of Hargeisa Water Agency, Mr Ibrahim Siyad Yonis.
The project which is funded by the Somaliland Development Fund is expected to be completed and equipped in the next four months and consists of both construction of the laboratory main building and equipping it with modern water quality testing equipment.
Speaking during the launching event, the Minister of National Planning and Development lauded the Somaliland Development Fund donors for their contribution in the development of Somaliland. The Minister specifically said “" I am pleased to preside over the launching ceremony for construction of water quality laboratory for Hargeisa Water Agency which is the first of its kind in Somaliland. This shows the Somaliland Government's commitment for enhancing the quality of life for its citizens. I also thank the SDF contributing donors for their support towards implementation of life impacting projects in Somaliland."
The chairperson of the HWA Board while providing her remarks during the event said that: “This Water Quality Laboratory is part of the development of the country to test and analyse the quality of water that will be served to the residents of Hargeisa. I appreciate HWA and the donors of SDF for the support towards the construction of the Laboratory”.
Talking on behalf of the Hargeisa Water Agency at the same event, the Chief Executive Officer of HWA, Mr. Ibrahim Siyad Yonis said that: “Upon completion of the construction of the water quality laboratory, Hargeisa Water Agency will be able to carry out water quality analysis to monitor the safety of water distributed to all residents of Hargeisa municipality. HWA is very grateful to all SDF contributing donors (UK, Denmark, Norway and Netherlands) for the support in constructing the laboratory. I call upon the contractor to implement this project in a timely manner.”
Other activities funded by the SDF and implemented by Hargeisa Water Agency include:
- Construction of Ayaha 1 and 2 Settlement Water Supply Project;
- Drilling of 3 boreholes in Hora Hadley as well as laying 6 km of pipeline connecting the boreholes to Geed Deeble pumping station;
- The procurement of pipes for laying of 23 km of pipeline mains from Geed Deeble to the Chinese Reservoir;
- Detailed engineering design to supply water to the Southern districts of Ahmed Dhagah and Mohamoud Haybe and the northern districts of Ibrahim Koodbuur and Ga’an Libaah districts; and
- Construction of three subsurface dams to boost the sustainability of the Haraf filtration gallery which feeds the Ayaha 1 and 2 water supply system.
The Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) is a 4 - year fund designed to support the Government of Somaliland (GoSL) filling a critical gap supporting projects that are fully aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP). SDF is currently funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the Government of Norway and Kingdom of the Netherlands.
For more information, please contact Mr. Ibrahim Siyad Yonis,
The General Manger of Hargeisa Water Agency.
Or visit SDF Website (www.somalilanddevelopmentfund.org) for more information on SDF.