The first drinking water factory in Juba - called Yany-yom water factory has been launched on Thursday and it is expected that production of bottled drinking water will commence in two weeks.

The water factory is a private initiative of the Alok group companies and the project was supported by the southern Sudan ministry of commerce, trade and supply.

According to director of Alok group companies in Juba Mr. Bartholomew Bol, the water factory will produce around 1.200 liters of safe drinking water per hour.

The locally produced drinking water will be bottled and sold in markets and that will help in reduction of health risks of water-born diseases.

The president of the Government of Southern Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit attended the launching ceremony and he urged citizens to keep the environment clean.

Kiir requested the state authorities to grant the foreign invertors land so that they may set up their factories and investments.