By Fanta L. Keita
MONROVIA, Oct. 7 (LINA) -Nationwide inspections of water producers, businesses, cold-storage facilities and food establishments have exposed serious gaps in sanitation and public health compliance, prompting authorities to issue 31 stop orders and 21 warning notices.
National WASH Commission Chief Executive Officer George W.K. Yarngo disclosed the findings on Thursday, October 1, 2026 at a press engagement organized by the Ministry of Information as part of its 2026 review of activities in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.
He said the 739 establishments were inspected during joint food safety, sanitary and WASH compliance exercises across the country.
Mr. Yarngo said only 41 percent of the water producers inspected met production and delivery standards. Forty-seven percent held environmental permits, while just 36 percent had public health certificates.
He lamented that about one-third lacked records on water quality, raising concerns about whether the safety of water supplied to consumers can be consistently verified.
Among general businesses, only 34 percent had hand-washing stations, 19 percent held WASH certificates and 12 percent had environmental permits.
The picture was also troubling in cold-storage and food facilities, he said, emphasizing that about Seventy-six (76) percent of inspected cold stores recorded temperatures outside safe ranges, and only 19 percent had hand-washing facilities.
He disclosed that roughly 10 percent kept adequate water and temperature records.
The CEO said the enforcement measures target establishments operating under unsafe or non-compliant conditions and form part of the Commission’s statutory mandate covering regulation, monitoring, quality assurance, certification and oversight of the sector.
Beyond enforcement, the Commission announced plans for a community-based flood early-warning and WASH resilience initiative in 10 flood-prone communities.
Under the proposal, 100 community responders would be trained to give early warnings and support preparedness during emergencies.
Mr. Yarngo said the initiative reflects the growing importance of climate resilience in WASH planning as communities face increasing flooding and extreme weather.
He said the Commission is also proposing a WASH Management Information System to improve how sector data is collected and managed.
A major data assessment planned for Ganta will bring together government institutions and partners to review existing WASH data, systems and methods.
According to the Commission, better data will support evidence-based decision-making and coordination among WASH institutions.
Mr. Yarngo called for a single consolidated water-sector budget to address fragmented financing and give funding priorities a more coordinated framework.
He stressed that stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners, civil society organizations and the private sector will be critical to improving compliance and service delivery.
He said the broader goal is not only to enforce standards but to ensure that investments in water, sanitation and hygiene deliver safe, reliable and sustainable services to communities across Liberia.