The Oromia Regional State has kicked off a 600-million-Br project that will provide potable water for 140,655 residents in Bale Robe town and its surroundings.

Launched on March 25, 2020, the project will be jointly funded by the regional government, the federal government, the World Bank and the residents of Bale Robe.

Enterprise Feljas & Masson, a French firm focused on water extraction, pumping and treatment, is engaged in the construction of the project in a joint venture with Bermong Construction Plc, a local grade one construction firm, and SIRAM Trading Plc, a sister company of grade one contractor 3M Engineering Plc.

The project will connect Shoya and Lolla rivers to a plant where the water will be treated.

The water project, which is expected to be completed in a year and a half, will also include drilling four boreholes estimated to pump 4,000 cubic metres of water a day. The project also consists of the construction of two reservoirs that can each hold 2,500 cubic metres of water. It has also created job opportunities for more than 200 people in the town.

The project will provide clean drinking water and sanitation facilities for the next 20 years to the residents of Robe town and the surrounding areas, which are known for having a shortage of water.

Currently, the people in the town fetch water from the Lolla River, according to Abdul Jalil Adulrobe, mayor of Bale Robe.

“Women and girls no longer have to walk long distances and spend many hours to fetch water," the mayor said. "Girls can go to school, while mothers have enough time to spend with their children and engage in other productive activities."

The town administration launched the project to expand the capacity of the town’s existing water supply system, according to Tariku Demeke, head of Bale Robe Town Water Authority Office.

The project involves managing liquid sludge and waste from containment to recycling, improving water and sanitation in institutions such as schools and health facilities, and establishing a business model for managing the facility comprised of the local administration and private operators, according to Tariku.