By Lemuella Tarawallie
The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Water Resources has held a meeting with the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) and the Sierra Leone Water Producers’ Union to address regulatory enforcement, sanitation standards, and pricing inconsistencies in the water sector.
The meeting focused on improving compliance among water producers, strengthening inspection systems, and ensuring safer water delivery to consumers countrywide.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, stressed the need for stronger collaboration between regulators, Parliament, and the industry stakeholders to guarantee safe water supply.
“We must ensure it is done on time. We must ensure we have pure water for our people,” he added
He noted that government alone cannot effectively monitor all water production sites due to limited manpower and therefore called for a collective approach involving the water union.
“Even if they give more manpower, they will not have the capacity to monitor all water communities. Therefore, it is incumbent on all of us to work together,” he stated.
Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara warned that enforcement would be intensified against non-compliant producers. “We are going out again and we are going to close more businesses. Before we close those businesses, the full penalty stipulated in the law will be applied,” he stated.
He noted that, “We have a responsibility to protect our people, and we must do it together.” He also raised concerns about poor hygiene practices in some production facilities, saying sanitation compliance must be central to licensing and monitoring.
The Deputy Chairperson of the Committee emphasized the importance of collaboration between Parliament, regulators, and the Water Producers’ Union.
“There is no way you can succeed if you are not competent in collaborating with a union,” she stated, and highlighted the importance of unions as grassroots structures that understand operational realities within the sector.
“When one works with a union, it strengthens the entire system. We, as Members of Parliament, want better representation and better outcomes for the sector,” she added.
Representatives of the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) explained ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening inspection systems, licensing procedures, and sanitation compliance monitoring.
They noted that enforcement would now include routine inspections, spot checks, and temporary closure of facilities that fail to meet required standards until compliance is achieved.
“We conduct inspections and may close facilities that do not meet standards until they relocate or comply,” an EWRC representative said.
The President of the Sierra Leone Water Producers’ Union, Herbert Jones, expressed support for ongoing reforms. “We now have a high level of membership compliance, and we continue to work closely with regulators,” he said.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment to strengthen enforcement, improve sanitation standards, harmonize pricing systems, and deepen cooperation between Parliament, EWRC, and the Water Producers’ Union.