The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) on Thursday opened a two-day stakeholder engagement session at its King Sao Boso office in Monrovia, unveiling its Service Delivery Charter and calling for greater partnership to improve water and sanitation services across the country.
The session, which brought together representatives from government agencies, development partners, the private sector, and civil society, is part of the national mandate for public entities to develop, publish, and implement Service Delivery Charters — a key accountability and performance tool under President Joseph Boakai’s ARREST Agenda.
In his opening remarks, LWSC Managing Director Mo Ali admitted that the Corporation had initially lagged behind in publishing its charter but emphasized its growing commitment to reform and service excellence.
“We at Water and Sewer were not too good at publishing on time,” Ali said, referencing an earlier government awards ceremony that recognized institutions which complied with the first phase of the Charter rollout. “Those that did theirs in time got awarded. Now at least we’ve got ours published.”
Ali stressed that Thursday’s gathering marked a critical second phase of the service delivery charter process — stakeholder engagement.
“This is another session for another requirement of the Service Delivery Charter — to engage our key partners, present to them, and understand from them. I am happy that we have partners here from education, from other entities. Our biggest customer, Club Beer at WaterAid Zero, is here, and so are our partners in the NGO sector.”
He added with a smile: “To our African Development Partners, you have deliberately left us out of your funding for the next cycle. But we’ve made representation at the recent summit in Abidjan, and the Minister of Finance has also communicated that water and sanitation should be included in the country strategy paper.”
Ali underscored that water and sanitation is a pillar of the Boakai administration’s ARREST agenda and called for deeper alignment between LWSC, the Ministry of Public Works, and donors. “Let’s sit and have a conversation so we can make AWS [access to water and sanitation] one of the best across every sector.”
T. Nelson Gaye, LWSC’s Deputy Managing Director for Administration, welcomed the guests and gave a brief overview of the Charter process.
“We brought you to our tight office space intentionally so you can see our headquarters — because you are not just guests; you are partners and customers,” Gaye said.
He explained that the charter process began last year when the Liberian government, through the Cabinet, instructed all public institutions to set performance targets and develop documents such as the Customer Service Charter and the Strategic Plan.
“The Customer Service Charter outlines the services we provide, your rights and responsibilities as customers, and our obligations as service providers,” Gaye said. “We are here to present it for your review and input so that it can become a working document.”
Representing the Ministry of Education, Assistant Minister Sona T. Sesay reaffirmed her ministry’s commitment to WASH services in schools.
“We bring you warm greetings from Minister Dr. Jarso Jallah. She would have loved to be here, but due to other commitments, I am standing in,” Sesay said.
“In the ARREST agenda, we’ve prioritized inclusive WASH facilities in education. We hope LWSC can partner with us to ensure that access to safe water and sanitation becomes a reality for all school-going children.”
Oscar Otto, Director of Sales and Marketing at LWSC, detailed the background and goals of the Charter.
“In August 2024, the Cabinet Secretariat gave all government entities two key mandates: publish a Service Delivery Charter and strengthen internal systems to implement it. This stakeholder engagement is one of the most important parts,” Otto said.
He noted that the Charter covers the period 2024 to 2029 and aims to improve water service delivery, enhance customer engagement, promote transparency and professionalism, and set clear benchmarks for accountability.
“Our mission is to provide reliable, efficient, and affordable water. And we believe that by being accountable to you — our customers — we can achieve that,” he said.
Otto noted that LWSC currently provides water for at least 12 hours a day, a timeline which could improve with better support from the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC). “We rely heavily on electricity. Once we have consistent power, we can do even more.”
Joyce Bernard, LWSC’s Customer Service Manager, provided a detailed breakdown of the services offered by the Corporation.
She explained the process for water and sewer registration, which includes filling out an application, submitting valid ID, and undergoing a technical assessment before connection.
She also outlined LWSC’s key services and associated costs. Water registration fees range from $70 to $215 USD, depending on pipe size. Sewer registration is $50 for families and $100 for businesses. Waste disposal via sanitation companies costs $27.50 per dump at Fiamah Sewage Plant. Dislodging services range from $88 to $1,000 USD, based on distance. Water trucking services start at $0.20 to $0.30 per gallon and are also distance-based.
Bernard highlighted other key services such as leak repairs, reconnections, and meter installations. She explained that meter installation helps track accurate usage and charges. She noted that customer privacy is paramount and that financial and registration information is kept confidential. Customers also have the right to access service information.
Throughout the day, speakers reiterated the Charter’s core goals: to define service standards, improve customer satisfaction, and strengthen ethical service delivery.
With the document now presented to stakeholders, LWSC officials hope to gather feedback and finalize it for full implementation.
“This Charter is not just a paper — it’s a promise,” said Otto. “A promise to do better, to serve better, and to be better.”
