MONROVIA — In W(h)ein Town, a community overshadowed by a massive landfill, residents face daily health challenges from contaminated water and poor waste management. Despite their resilience, the lack of safe drinking water intensifies their plight, showing a desperate need for intervention.
By Aria Deemie/Internews Environmental Reporting Fellow
Living with Contaminated Water
Dedee Forkpa, a 36-year-old mother of five, endures daily struggles living near the W(h)ein Town landfill, located on the outskirts of Paynesville City in Montserrado County — approximately 13 km northeast of the capital, Monrovia.
“I moved here in 2008. This place was a beautiful mountain-like red dirt hill, with running water; people used to come here to do video recordings for music and movies,” she recalls.
“At the end of 2008, we heard that they (the government) were bringing a dumpsite here, and people had their land and houses all in this fence. I had my land there too. World Bank bought it from us and started bringing big pipes and trampolines”.
Dedee initially thought the dumpsite wouldn’t be a problem. She said the area was initially managed by a company that covered the garbage with red dirt every six months, which was manageable. However, since the government took over, conditions have worsened. The dirt now emits a foul scent that she fears could cause throat cancer, and the area is infested with mosquitoes, flies, rats, and snakes. Dedee and her community are forced to rely on medicines for various illnesses. “Right now, I’m not well—typhoid is killing me,” she cries out.
Dedee Forkpa discusses the challenges she faces as a result of the landfill with reporter Aria Deemie at the Telecom-Whein Town Community on July 31.
The managed landfill facility, owned by the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), was initially operated by an independent contractor Poyry GMBH.
The landfill’s, operations and maintenance guidelines and the environmental management plan for the Whein town sanitary landfill facility stipulate that “All waste is to be covered with a layer of earth at the end of the working day, and no waste should be left uncovered for a period greater than 24 hours to minimize infestations of flies and rats”.
The guidelines also caution that the procured 10-hectare site offers only short-term airspace until a permanent or long-term landfill is developed.
Sayzay Kezele is the supervisor of the Bengee Community Health Centers — a clinic approximately four minute-walk from the landfill. He said the clinic often gets about 250 cases of diarrhea, malaria, and typhoid from the community.
“People often treat themselves at home mostly for cases like diarrhea, when it gets worse, they come here. Many are afraid to seek treatment early because they lack money,” he says.
“Children are the most affected. Recently, we treated a 2-month-old with severe malaria. We try to educate the community to reduce these diseases, but poor sanitation and lack of support make it difficult”.
Liberia’s National WASH Commission plan (PAPD 2018-2023) reports that less than 4% of the population has access to safely managed drinking water, with rural access below 1%. According to 2020 WHO/UNICEF estimates, 75% of Liberians had basic drinking water access—85% in urban areas and 64% in rural areas—but only 18% had basic sanitation services.
Nick Benito Goll, an Environmental Health expert, warns that the health risks from the landfill is “poisoning” the future generation.
“It’s not only Wein Town; the aquifers are connected everywhere. The impact is moving; we just feel that because Wein Town is near the landfill, they alone are affected,” Goll explains.
“They’re close to the potential impact, but the W(h)ein Town landfill could be polluting not just the groundwater but even the water body”.
Water and Sanitation Woes
Wisdom W. Wayne, 22, is also affected by this dire condition in W(h)ein Town. He said the pollution of water sources is an ultimate concern for many residents.
“My dad voluntarily gave them a piece of land to build a water tank, which they constructed. We had to pay LD$10.0 per gallon to the leadership for maintenance. But since the reservoir spoiled in 2020, they haven’t repaired it,” Wayne said.
“All the water we drink here is tasteless. Before then, we used to have good, safe drinking water. Now it’s not safe to dig wells around here”.
Archie N. Weanquoi Sr., 27, lives at the back of the landfill with his three-year-old child. He said the fencing of the site has been damaged for several years now, making it easy for waste to spill in the community when it rains.
Like Wayne, Weanquoi says the authorities have failed to make good their promise of providing safe drinking water.
“They told us they were going to bring water for us. The tank is here; they’ve built the tank and everything. But there’s no water,” he said, adding “I am not working right now to afford to buy mineral water. When my daughter gets sick, I struggle to take her to the hospital.”
Laura M. Wilson, a mother of six children who is an elementary school teacher, echoes the same concerns.
“When it rains, all the feces, pampers, and snakes leave the fence and come out in the floods to us. My children have to stay home from school. The wells and pumps are all polluted,” she explains.
“We’ve been to many ministries to complain, and they told us that this waste was going to be transferred, but to our utmost surprise, this place is still here. We can’t fight the government; we are only praying that they listen to us.”
An image of a well a stone throw away from the back of the landfill
Environmentalist Goll says when rain falls, it flows from highlands to lowlands, infiltrating groundwater and if the water is polluted, those using wells will also draw up contaminated water.
“The Wein Town landfill is an open dumpsite, not covered cell by cell as it should be, allowing organic wastes and other contaminants to seep into streams, rivers, and our groundwater,” he said. “It’s a serious issue, and people are using this water for bathing and cooking”.
MCC’s operations and maintenance guidelines and environmental management plan note that the landfill would have impacted the water quality of receiving surface and groundwater bodies in the area.
MariatuYekee, a Public Health Expert, warns against the use of untreated underground water waters in the area especially by children.
“Children are mostly at risk; they don’t have the same immune system as adults. With the proximity of the landfill, untreated water could result in diarrheas, vomiting, and even severe sicknesses wherein they could be dehydrated and hospitalized,” she said.
A picture of Archie showing reporter to the reservoir lying in ruins.
The back of the landfill’s fence that has broken down
The Leadership’s Perspective
Samuel Kofi Jones, Secretary General of the W(h)ein Town Community, says the community
Multiple challenges since the coming of the landfill in 2010. From air pollution to water pollution, Jones says there have been “minimum efforts” from the government to solve the problem.
“The government has made some efforts, such as constructing a concrete fence, that is now partially down and five reservoirs. However, when the pipes meant to supply drinking water were damaged during road construction, the site management here said the issue was with Water and Sewer. They promised to rehabilitate the pipes, but it hasn’t happened,” he explains.
The community has not just complained about the problem. Earlier this year, they drilled a borehole to supply water until the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) can repair the pipes.
Mo Ali, the Managing Director of LWSC, claims he is unaware of the community’s plight.
“I am not aware of a reservoir in W(h)ein Town. We do have plans to reach water supply to unserved communities. I have not received any complaints from the community about these issues. I will investigate,” Ali said.
Any Chance of Relocation?
Jones says the community wants the dumpsite relocated, adding that the landfill’s lifespan was supposed to be 10 years, but it’s been 14 years now. The population in the area has increased, making the situation more hazardous.
In 2017, the government with grants from the World Bank launched the Cheesemanburg Landfill and Urban Sanitation (CLUS) project with the expectation that the project was to be completed by June 2020. This initiative aims to improve solid waste collection and shutdown he Whein Town landfill.
The management of the Monrovia and Paynesville City Corporations refused to respond to many inquiries about Whein town’s landfill despite persistent requests. Although the MCC and PCC requested questions in advance, they ultimately did not proceed with the interviews.
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