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In brief
- Hargeisa Water Agency reported a 23 km primary feeder main of 600mm diameter connecting the Geedeeble production facilities to storage inside the city, completed as part of phase one in 2022.
- The same briefing gives a separate total of 166 km of pipes laid so far in the second phase, so the phase-one feeder figure and the phase-two total measure different scopes and need reconciling.
- The source is a dated account to a committee, not a completion certificate, so anyone relying on it should ask the agency for the as-built record.
Contents
Hargeisa Water Agency told the Standing Committee of the Somaliland House of Elders on 21 April 2025 that the first phase of the Hargeisa water expansion, completed in October 2022, included a primary feeder main 23 km long and 600mm in diameter connecting the water production facilities at Geedeeble to storage facilities inside the city.
What the source records
In the same briefing, the Agency's General Manager, Mohamed Ali Darood, reported that phase one took production from 6,500 cubic metres per day to 26,000 cubic metres per day, and that a new production facility, new wells and pipes to the service reservoirs formed part of that phase. For the second phase, the Agency told the committee that 166 km of pipes have been laid so far, alongside four large service reservoirs that are complete and tested but not yet operational. The Agency added, in answer to a committee question, that 228 km of pipes are laid but not yet operational, a total that belongs to the expansion rather than to the phase-one feeder. All of this is attributed in the Hargeisa Water Agency briefing dated 21 April 2025.
What it means on site
The 23 km figure describes one transmission main between production and storage, not the wider pipe network, which the same account puts at 166 km laid so far in phase two and 228 km laid overall. On site, that distinction matters during tie-ins and pressure testing: a transmission main of this size carries flow between facilities, while the distribution pipes feed streets and plots, and the two are usually commissioned separately. Builders working near a buried main of this diameter can ask the Agency for its alignment before excavating. Confirm any depth, cover or clearances against the project specification and the Agency's own records rather than a general figure.
What the source does not establish
The briefing gives different pipeline totals for different scopes, and the account itself does not reconcile them, so the phase-one feeder, the 166 km phase-two total and the 228 km expansion total should not be added or treated as one network. This is a dated snapshot from April 2025 and not a statement of the present condition of the works. The reservoirs were described as complete and tested but not yet operational, which is not the same as supplying water. A plan or a scheduled date, such as the February 2025 KfW arrangement with construction due to start in March 2025, is reported as a plan and not as finished work. What would confirm the present state is the Agency's as-built drawings, commissioning certificates and current operating report.
What to do next
Ask Hargeisa Water Agency for the as-built alignment and depth of the 23 km feeder main, and for the pipe schedule that separates the phase-one transmission main from the phase-two 166 km laid total and the 228 km expansion total. If you are building near a route, request the drawing before you excavate.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 23 km feeder main serve households directly?
The Agency described it as a primary feeder connecting the Geedeeble production facilities to storage inside the city, so it is a transmission main rather than the street distribution network. Ask the Agency for its alignment before working near it.
Why do the pipe totals in the briefing differ?
The 23 km figure covers one feeder main completed in phase one, while 166 km is the pipe total reported for phase two so far and 228 km is the wider total reported as laid but not yet operational. The account does not reconcile them, so treat them as separate scopes until the Agency confirms.
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.