By Matalay Kollie
LIBERIA – Remarks made by the Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, Mohammed Ali, regarding access to safe drinking water in Liberia have sparked widespread public debate, with many citizens questioning the accuracy of the claims amid ongoing water challenges across the country.
Speaking recently about the operations and performance of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), Ali disclosed that approximately 17,000 homes are currently connected to the corporation’s water system and maintained that a significant percentage of Liberians have access to basic water supply services.
“We have seventeen thousand homes that are connected,” Ali stated. “On the overall, 76 percent of the population has access to basic water supply.”
The LWSC Managing Director further defended the safety and quality of water supplied by the corporation, insisting that the water is safe for public consumption despite skepticism among some residents.
“The water from LWSC is absolutely safe for drinking,” he said. “You people don’t want to drink it because you have the mindset that it is not safe for drinking. I drink that water in my house.”
Ali also raised concerns about nonpayment of water bills, revealing that more than half of customers connected to the corporation’s water lines reportedly fail to pay for services provided.
“53 percent of those connected to LWSC water lines don’t pay their bills,” he disclosed.
The comments have since generated mixed reactions across Liberia, particularly on social media, where many citizens criticized the statements as being disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary Liberians struggling to access clean and reliable water.
Critics argue that despite the corporation’s claims, thousands of households in both urban and rural communities continue to depend on hand pumps, wells, creeks, and commercial water vendors due to limited pipe-borne water access and inconsistent supply.
Others questioned the assertion that 76 percent of the population has access to basic water supply, citing persistent shortages in several communities across Monrovia and other parts of the country.
The debate has also renewed broader conversations about public infrastructure, service delivery, and the need for increased investment in Liberia’s water sector.
Neither the LWSC nor the Ministry of Public Works has yet issued additional clarification regarding the figures cited by the corporation’s Managing Director.
