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In brief
- The Hargeisa Water Agency reported to the Somaliland House of Elders on 21 April 2025 that four new service reservoirs were completed and tested but not yet operational.
- The same briefing gave 166 km of pipes laid for the second phase and, elsewhere, 228 km of pipes that were completed and ready but not yet operational.
- Completion and testing are not the same as commissioning: the reservoirs only supply customers once they are filled, equipped and connected to the distribution network.
Contents
The Hargeisa Water Agency told the Standing Committee of the Somaliland House of Elders on 21 April 2025 that four large service reservoirs under the second phase of the Hargeisa water expansion had been completed and tested, but had not yet become operational. The General Manager, Mohamed Ali Darood, gave the briefing in Hargeisa.
What the source records
In the Hargeisa Water Agency briefing, the Agency said four new service reservoirs financed by the German development bank KfW were in place with a capacity of 7,630 cubic metres. It added that the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation had funded three small reservoirs, one elevated tank and a chlorine plant, and that nine new water infrastructure facilities were complete and ready but not operational.
- Second phase: 166 km of pipes laid, four reservoirs completed and tested, not operational.
- Elsewhere in the same briefing: 228 km of pipes laid, completed and ready, not yet operational.
The Agency also said phase one was completed in October 2022 and that the Agency now produces 26,000 cubic metres per day.
What it means on site
For a builder or client waiting on a connection, a tested reservoir is a structure that holds water; it is not a supply until it is filled, equipped and linked to the network. The briefing describes the plan as filling the larger reservoirs first, then the smaller ones such as Ina-Naxar and SingaSigaha. The Agency also said three SDF-funded wells use solar panels by day and a diesel generator at night. Anyone planning a plot should ask the Agency how the mains will reach that plot, and check with the municipal engineer's office what records it holds for the area.
What the source does not establish
This is an account given to a committee on one date, not a current status report. It does not say when any reservoir will be commissioned or how the distribution network will be extended to individual households. The two pipeline figures in the same briefing, 166 km and 228 km, do not reconcile and need checking with the Agency. Any schedule the Agency mentions is a plan, not completed work, and no cause or fault is established here.
What to do next
Request the completed works and commissioning schedule from the Hargeisa Water Agency, and ask which reservoirs are filled, equipped and connected as of today. Ask the Agency for the reconciled pipeline figure, in kilometres, for each phase.
Frequently asked questions
Are the four Hargeisa service reservoirs supplying water?
The Hargeisa Water Agency told the House of Elders on 21 April 2025 that the four reservoirs were completed and tested but not yet operational. That is a statement of status on that date, so ask the Agency for the current position.
How much storage do the new reservoirs add?
In the same briefing the Agency put the four KfW-financed service reservoirs at 7,630 cubic metres, and said the city's earlier reservoirs totalled about 4,000 cubic metres. Confirm the current figures with the Agency.
How many kilometres of pipe did the second phase lay?
The briefing gives 166 km in one passage and 228 km in another, so the totals need reconciliation with the Agency, as the two figures do not match.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Hargeisa and Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.