The Imo state government has announced the rehabilitation of the Otammiri water headworks, which had been abandoned for 28 years. This move is expected to increase access to clean and hygienic water for rural communities in the state.

According to the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Ozo Obinna Ogwuegbu, the rehabilitation of the water headworks is part of the state government’s efforts to improve access to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services in both urban and rural regions.

The Otammiri water headworks, which was built by former Imo state governor, Samuel Mbakwe, had degenerated into a site for open grazing and open defecation due to poor maintenance, maladministration, and abandonment.

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However, the Governor Hope Uzodimma administration has restored it to a standard water treatment plant with an installed capacity of 60 million liters of safe water daily.

Some of the major works carried out by the Uzodimma administration include the construction of a perimeter block fence, procurement of laboratory equipment and reagents, replacement of old pumps with modern digital ones, and rehabilitation of the low-lift and high-lift pumping stations.

The state government has also built over 75 solar-powered water boreholes in Owerri North, Owerri West, and Ngor-Okpala LGAs, and is currently rehabilitating key water schemes in rural communities, including those at Imo State University, Orji, and Oleme-Amuifeke.

These efforts have earned Imo State a certificate as a Utility of the Future (UoF) by the World Bank in 2022, recognizing the state’s commitment to restoring and maintaining the dignity of the WASH sector.