REPOSITIONING WATER SUPPLY, SANITATION IN GOMBE

For decades, access to clean and reliable water remained a persistent challenge for many communities across Gombe State. Ageing infrastructure, rapid urbanisation, erratic power supply and limited investment combined to weaken pipe-borne water systems, while rural communities continued to depend on unsafe and unreliable water sources.

At the centre of this transformation role under the State Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme has repositioned water supply and sanitation as a core pillar of sustainable development in Gombe State,

SURWASH, under the vision of Governor Inuwa Yahaya,  has strengthened as a strategic platform to deliver safe water, improve sanitation standards and enhance environmental hygiene across urban and rural communities.

One of the programme’s most challenging tasks has been the rehabilitation of urban pipe-borne water systems, particularly in Gombe metropolis, where population growth had placed enormous pressure on already overstretched infrastructure.

Through comprehensive technical assessments, outdated facilities were identified and systematically upgraded. Key achievements include rehabilitation of water treatment and pumping facilities, replacement of corroded and undersized pipelines, expansion of distribution networks to underserved neighbourhoods, and introduction of improved water quality control and monitoring mechanisms.

These interventions have not only restored water supply to many households but have also improved service reliability, reduced water losses and enhanced consumer confidence in public water utilities.

While urban centres required system rehabilitation, rural communities demanded a different approach, SURWASH has through Engr. Usman Aliyu Abubakar, the Project Coordinator (PC) in Gombe State, championed the deployment of solar-powered boreholes across multiple local government areas.

Under his stewardship, key water and environmental agencies—namely the Gombe State Water Board, the Gombe State Environmental Protection Agency (GOSEPA) and the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA)—have been granted the necessary technical backing and administrative approvals to effectively implement critical rural development, environmental sanitation and water infrastructure projects.

SURWASH have yielded measurable social and health benefits. Improved access to clean water has contributed to a decline in water-related illnesses, strengthened sanitation practices and enhanced overall environmental cleanliness.

It has helped rewrite a long-standing narrative of scarcity and neglect. The ongoing water revolution in Gombe underscores a simple but powerful truth: when leadership is purposeful and development is people-centred, even the most entrenched challenges can be transformed into opportunities for progress.

Umar Haruna Osama, Gombe