After weeks of technical work on pumping stations, reservoirs and the dam, the 2026 optimisation session ends with a stronger, automated system and renewed confidence that clean water can now circulate across the Bamenda III municipality.
As the German technical team prepares to leave Bamenda III, the end of the latest optimisation session signals a turning point in a water project that has evolved steadily over the past decade, moving from a fragile, manually operated scheme to a modern, automated system designed for scale, resilience and sustainability.
Mayor Fongu Cletus Tanwe described the 2026 optimisation as a response to a critical weakness that had persisted for years.
“Before this optimisation, we identified that we had enough water, but it was not circulating well within the municipality... This time, the optimisation has been done properly. Most of the reservoirs now have enough water, and the system has been interconnected to make water available within the network at every given moment.” the Mayor explained.
According to the Mayor, the work covered the entire chain, from the dam to the treatment plant, pumping stations, reservoirs and pipelines.
“The system is now working perfectly from source to distribution. We are expecting a more impactful supply of water to the population and a healthier life for our people. Our motto remains clean water, long life,” he said.
Three major pumping stations have now been established, at the council premises, Ntaghem and near Saint Paul. These stations push water to elevated reservoirs at high points such as GTTC Bamenda, Full Gospel Mission Mile III Nkwen (helimission) and other strategic locations. As a result, storage capacity across the system has risen sharply.
“Our storage capacity is now approaching one hundred thousand cubic litres. That means at every given moment, water is within the network,” the Mayor added.
For the technical team of the council, one of the most important outcomes of the optimisation has been the transition from manual to automated operations.
Eric Azeh, Chief of Service for the Water Department, has worked with the German team since the system was inaugurated in 2015. He recalls how different the system was then.
“In 2015, we were working with a manual system. The Germans have now upgraded it to an automatic system. We have learned a lot, especially with the installation of the pumps and how to manipulate them.” he said
That training, he noted, is central to sustainability.
“Today, we can carry out repairs on the pumps ourselves. We only contact our partners when we need spare parts. That means the council can manage the system even when the German team is not around.”
He also traced the steady expansion of storage capacity over the years, from an 80,000 litre reservoir at the beginning, to 200,000 litres in 2019, 400,000 litres in 2024, and additional tanks at Full Gospel, GTTC and Saint Paul.
For water service staff like Cyprian Taniform, the optimisation has changed daily work in very practical ways.
“Last year, when the German planners came, we had many challenges. They left when the work was about eighty per cent done, and we completed the rest.” he recalled.
What stands out for him is the interlinking of reservoirs and the automation of pressure control.
“Before, we were blindly using one reservoir at a time. Now, we have eight reservoirs interlinked. This has increased pressure across the network,” he explained.
The impact on workload has been immediate.
“I used to go around rationing water. Now, rationing is no longer necessary. The system is automatic. The machines do the work. We are just there to control them,” he said.
Beyond pumps and reservoirs, major work was also carried out at the dam. Leakages that once drained water before it entered the system were sealed, and the structure reinforced.
According to the German team, this was essential to guarantee supply during the dry season and stabilise the entire network.
At a farewell gathering held as the team prepared to return to Germany, German engineer Karli Heinisch speaking for the team of five, described the 2026 session as the most demanding since the system was commissioned in 2015 and 2016.
“This year presented the greatest challenge, not only because of the complexity of the project, but also because of the physical effort required,” he said. Some components weighing over 500 kilograms had to be transported manually to remote sites near the Menteh waterfall.
He praised the Cameroonian water team and volunteers for their endurance and commitment, noting that three solar powered pumping stations with battery storage now form the backbone of a stable and reliable system.
“There are now seven elevated tanks supplying Bamenda III in all directions. Together, they supply water to the city centre and surrounding areas,” he said.
With the commissioning of a new dam constructed in April 2025, raw water supply is now secured even in the dry season. Heinisch said the facilities are fully optimised, with the final expansion phase of the treatment plant completed.
Looking ahead, he identified the rehabilitation and professional expansion of the pipeline network in Nkwen and by extension Bamenda III as a whole as the next major challenge, calling for close cooperation with the local population, especially during road and bridge works.
In his remarks at the farewell event, Mayor Fongu Cletus framed the project as a humanitarian obligation rather than a technical exercise.
“These Germans do not know the people who drink the water. They do not know the people of Ntabessi or Menteh. Yet they are here so that others can drink clean water. This is humanity,” he said.
He described the partnership as human centred development in action, adding that despite challenges over the past ten years, dialogue and cooperation have kept the project alive.
“This partnership will stay. Challenges will always exist, but as humans, we must overcome them together,” the Mayor said.
Traditional and community leaders have also welcomed the progress. Muma Azehfor III, Second Traditional Adviser to the Fon of Nkwen and Coordinator of the Nkwen Water Project, said the council water scheme complements existing community efforts.
“Having potable water for all in Nkwen is my greatest wish. The council water is a strong complementary source for our people and beyond,” he said, thanking the Mayor and German partners.
Azinue Ngufor, a notable in the Nkwen Fondom, councillor of Bamenda III and Quarter Head in Bayelle, described the optimisation as a long awaited relief.
“Water has been very difficult in Bayelle despite several initiatives. The coming of the Bamenda III water is a huge relief for my people,” he said.
German Technicians in final meeting with Bamenda III Council water Team
As the German experts depart, the 2026 optimisation session closes with a system that is more automated, better interconnected and managed by a trained local team.
The next phase, planned for 2027, will focus on the pipeline network and real time monitoring to detect leakages quickly.
For Bamenda III, the end of this optimisation is not an ending, but a consolidation. It confirms that a decade long investment in water is beginning to deliver the clean, reliable water it promised not as an event, but as a lasting public service.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Online
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