At 4 a.m., before dawn in Cabinda Province of Angola, the local residents went out with buckets.

Getting up early, going out and fetching water has long been a routine of them.

In some areas of Cabinda Province, insufficient water supply has long been a bigworry for locals due to low water coverage.

Residents in Cabinda are gathering near the water truck to buy drinking water. (Photo by China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited)

Although there are wells around, the water is not drinkable. Since most areas are not equipped with water taps, people have to rely on water trucks to get water for a limited time, and residents who are farthest away have to go out to get water before dawn every day.

But not every resident who gets up early can get water. If they miss the water supply time, they have to return empty-handed.

However, thanks to the efforts of the local government and the Chinese company, it is about to change...

The Cabinda water supply system project, constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited (CRCC International), is improving the local water shortage situation. The project is the largest water supply project currently under construction in Angola and the first fast and efficient drinking water supply system.

Workers are pouring concrete on the outer wall of the pool of the Cabinda water supply system project. (Photo by CRCC International)

With a daily water supply capacity of 50,000 cubic meters and covering 92 percent of the population in Cabinda Province, the project will directly benefit 600,000 people after completion, greatly improving the sanitation quality of public drinking water in the region, and the living environment of local residents.

"When the project is completed, it will cover the entire neighborhood, and then we will have clean and convenient drinking water without leaving our homes,"saida local employee of the project.

In nearly four years of construction, the project has undergone more than 10 times of design changes and scheme optimization. Due to the shortage of materials locally, nearly 200 types of construction materials and equipment needed to be purchased from China, Portugal and neighboring countries. In addition, the long rainy season and the risk of infectious diseases such as malaria have also brought great challenges to the construction personnel.

Workers install distribution boxes at the site of the Cabinda water supply system project. (Photo by CRCC International)

In March this year, as the COVID-19 began to spread across the African continent, almost all construction projects in Angola pressed the "pause button". Faced with the construction difficulties caused by the epidemic, the project department urgently coordinated construction technicians, materials and equipment, and adhered to both epidemic prevention and control and construction progress. So far, no one has been infected at the construction site.

According to the project leader, on September 30, the water supply pipelines and the household pipe networks of the Cabinda water supply system project were all installed, and the initial flushing was completed. By the end of December, 600,000 Angolans will have access to clean tap water.

Thinking of the clean tap water "coming to the door", a local resident shouted excitedly,"We don't have to go out at four in the morning to fetch water anymore!"

Project built by Chinese company provides 600,000 Angolans with clean tap water