Hundreds of residents of the Morris Farm community in Todee District, Rural Montserrado County, continue to rely on creek water as their primary source of water, despite years of appeals to the government and humanitarian organizations for access to safe drinking water.
The community, located near Kakata in Margibi County along the banks of the Du River, is home to more than 9,000 residents and has endured persistent poor sanitation conditions. For years, residents have depended on the creek for washing clothes, bathing, and other household uses, while some residents also consume the water for drinking.
Speaking to The Liberian Investigator, several teenagers disclosed that fetching water from the creek has become a mandatory daily routine due to the limited number of hand pumps in the community. Children as young as 10 years old are often seen carrying buckets and gallons of water from the Du River to their homes.
Annie Moses, a young woman washing clothes on a flat rock along the riverbank, described the practice as a way of life for residents. She referred to the creek as the "Adam and Eve creek," explaining that men and women, boys and girls, openly bathe and wash there on a daily basis due to the lack of alternatives.
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A young man identified as Romeo, who said he is temporarily residing in the community as a construction contractor, expressed concern over the situation. He noted that although he has bathed and washed clothes in creeks before, he is now compelled to do so because there is no access to running or pumped water.
Meanwhile, the Youth Chairman of Morris Farm Community, Isaac Kollie, said the struggle for clean and safe drinking water has persisted for years without any meaningful intervention. He warned that the situation places the lives of more than 9,000 residents at serious risk of waterborne diseases and possible outbreaks due to prolonged exposure to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
Kollie disclosed that the community currently has only three functional hand pumps. However, during the dry season, two of the pumps often run dry, leaving the entire community dependent on a single pump, a situation he described as unsustainable and dangerous.
Morris Farm Community hosts the operations of the Morris American Rubber Company (MARCO), once a key economic driver in the area. In recent years, MARCO has faced significant operational challenges, including the layoff of several employees and the accumulation of more than 30 months of unpaid salary arrears owed to former workers. The company's decline has had far-reaching social consequences for the community.
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Among the impacts was the closure of an elementary and junior high school operated by or affiliated with MARCO nearly four years ago, leaving hundreds of students without access to education. Residents say the company's struggles, coupled with the absence of sustained government intervention, have worsened living conditions in Morris Farm, including access to basic social services such as clean water, education, and healthcare.
Community leaders continue to call on the Liberian government, MARCO management, and development partners to urgently intervene to address the water crisis and restore basic services in the area.
