Rawalpindi’s aging water supply system is finally ready for a long-awaited upgrade, as the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) prepares to launch a Rs 3.6 billion project to transform old pipelines and build new storage facilities across the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf claimed that the Punjab government has formally approved the project, with work expected to begin at the start of the new year. Residents have been making complaints about
- Rusty water
- Low pressure
- Frequent line breakages
Many of the pipelines, he explained, have already crossed their service life, causing leakages, contamination, and mounting repair costs.
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Replacement of old and damaged pipelines
“If we do not replace them, after the year 2030, the aging infrastructure will pose a risk to public health and service reliability,” he kept on saying.
Under the Wasa project, old and damaged pipelines will be replaced in several key areas of Rawalpindi, including:
• Union Councils 21 to 26 along Shamsabad
• Asghar Mall Road to Saidpur Road
• Union Councils 75 to 78 and 80 to 82, linked with tube wells
Improvement and rehabilitation of the network will also begin in UCs 33, 35, 39, 40 and 45, where water is supplied from Rawal Dam. Some sections from Khanpur Dam—such as Fauji Colony and the stretch from Sabzi Mandi to Bokra Road—will also see major line replacement.
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Water Works No. 1 (Sufaid Tanki) on Saidpur Road
One of the major and integral parts of the plan is the refurbishment of Water Works No. 1 (Sufaid Tanki) on Saidpur Road, at a cost of Rs 200 million. In addition, 12 new tube wells will be installed and five underground and overhead water tanks will be constructed to store water from Rawal and Khanpur dams, helping stabilize supply during peak demand hours.
Ashraf said that once completed, the upgraded system is designed to operate smoothly until 2050, even as Rawalpindi’s population increases from 1.7 million today to over 3 million.
Wasa has also started action against water theft and illegal connections, so that paying consumers can finally receive water regularly and fairly without showing any deep reliance on tankers or private sources.