By: Dr. Sagir S. Buhari, FCIA
The rehabilitation of the Challawa Water Treatment Plant and the transmission system supplying the Goron Dutse Distribution Station, together with the revival of the Goron Dutse Water Reservoir, represents a significant step towards improving potable water supply in Kano State.
I commend His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, Executive Governor of Kano State, for giving due attention to these critical water infrastructure projects and supporting the restoration of facilities that had remained out of operation for many years.
The significance of this intervention lies in the fact that these facilities form an important part of an interconnected water-supply system. Treated water from the Challawa Water Treatment Plant is conveyed through an approximately 15.6-kilometre transmission pipeline to the Goron Dutse Distribution Station, where it is stored and subsequently distributed to parts of Kano metropolis.
The Goron Dutse Water Reservoir, which had reportedly been out of operation for many years, has now been restored to active service. The three reservoirs have a combined storage capacity of approximately 39.8 million litres, comprising 10 million litres, 7.3 million litres and 22.5 million litres respectively. This is commonly rounded to approximately 40 million litres in public reports.
The wider ₦11 billion project covers rehabilitation and related works at the Challawa Water Treatment Plant, as well as the transmission system supplying the Goron Dutse Distribution Station. It is therefore more accurate to view the intervention as a broader water-supply project connecting treatment, transmission, storage and distribution, rather than as a project involving the Goron Dutse Reservoir alone.
I also commend the Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahiru Muhammad Hashim, together with the officials, engineers and technical teams involved in the rehabilitation and restoration of these facilities.
Projects of this nature require proper planning, technical expertise, effective supervision, coordination and sustained administrative support. Their efforts in bringing this critical infrastructure back into service deserve recognition.
While the revival of Goron Dutse is commendable, Kano must continue to plan for the future.
The population of Kano metropolis continues to grow, and the demand for potable water will inevitably increase. I therefore respectfully urge the Kano State Government to consider a phased expansion of the Goron Dutse water storage and distribution system to approximately 100 million litres, subject to appropriate technical, financial and environmental assessments.
Such an expansion should go hand in hand with continued investment in the Challawa Water Treatment Plant, transmission pipelines, pumping infrastructure and the wider distribution network. Increasing storage capacity alone will not be sufficient unless adequate treatment, transmission and distribution capacity are also available.
The government should equally establish a robust and sustainable maintenance programme for the rehabilitated facilities. The experience of Goron Dutse demonstrates the importance of ensuring that critical public infrastructure is properly maintained after rehabilitation so that it can continue serving the people for many years to come.
Another important area that deserves urgent attention is the reduction of water wastage within the distribution network. The government should undertake a systematic programme to identify and repair leaking or damaged community water pipes, particularly pipelines and connections extending water to households. Water lost through broken pipes, leaking joints and damaged connections represents a significant waste of treated water and reduces the amount ultimately reaching consumers. Strengthening routine inspection, prompt repairs and regular maintenance of these community-level distribution pipelines will help conserve treated water, improve service delivery and ensure that the benefits of investment in water production and storage reach more households.
For this reason, the rehabilitation of the Challawa Water Treatment Plant and transmission system, together with the revival of the Goron Dutse Water Reservoir and Distribution Station, should be viewed as part of a broader strategy to build a reliable and sustainable water-supply system capable of meeting the needs of Kano’s growing population.
I commend His Excellency , Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for this important intervention and encourage his administration to sustain the momentum by rehabilitating additional water infrastructure, expanding treatment, storage and distribution capacity, reducing water losses through the repair and maintenance of community distribution pipelines, and strengthening maintenance systems to ensure that these investments continue to serve the people of Kano for many years to come.
May Allah (SWT) continue to guide His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, and his administration in serving the people of Kano State. Ameen Ya Rabbal Alamin.
Happy Independence Day.
Dr. Sagir S. Buhari, FCIA
Former Director General, Research and Documentation Directorate, Government House, Kano State, Member, Governing Council,Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo, Kano State
buharisageer@gmail.com
1st October, 2026
