The central Benguela province coordinator of the Water and Sanitation Company (EASB), Jaime Alberto, said Thursday here there has been a rise in the number of people with access to drinking water in the region as compared with 2011.

This, the official said, is owed to Government investments in the implementation of the third phase of the Benguela Water Project (PAB).

According to Jaime Alberto, who was assessing the activity of the company in 2012, the conclusion of the PAB third phase has led to the Government goal of increasing the number of people with access to drinking water to 1.7 million in the municipalities of Benguela,

He said the PAB third phase is intended to expand until 2013 the water production capacity to 15 cubic metres per second and improve transportation and distribution to the coastal localities of the province.

The third phase also increased water production from 3,600 in 2010 to 5,400 cubic metres per hour in 2012, the official added.

As to some of the works conducted, the source mentioned connections to the main pipes and construction of the Water Treatment Station as part of Benguela Distribution Centre.