Blantyre Water Board (BWB) in partnership with the National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) is cracking down on 162 commercial boreholes across Blantyre City, ordering them sealed to protect water purity, Weekend Nation has learnt.
The initiative targets large-scale users who have shifted toward private boreholes to bypass BWB services, a trend that has severely eroded the utility’s revenue base, according to officials we have interviewed and documents we have seen.
BWB acting chief executive officer Chawanangwa Jana promised to respond to our inquiry but had not done so by the time of going to press.
But NWRA senior civic education and public relations officer Masozi Kasambala justified the move in an interview, saying groundwater development, including borehole
drilling, must be regulated to protect both the resource and other users.
He noted that sealing boreholes is legally justified when abstraction is unlicensed, permits are missing, or there is a threat to water sustainability.
Long-term risks
Kasambala warned that unregulated commercial use poses long-term risks, such as contamination from urban waste and sanitation systems and general water quality deterioration.
He explained: “These impacts directly undermine the objectives of the Water Resources Act (2013), which emphasise the sustainable use, protection, and equitable allocation of water resources.”
Kasambala said pulling the plug on unlicensed commercial boreholes aligns with the Water Resources Act of 2013 which mandates that all water resources are vested in the State.
Water experts also say beyond pollution, excessive pumping prevents aquifer discharge, causing water levels to drop and reducing yields for both businesses and residents. They also argue that illegal operations disadvantage domestic users and cause a breakdown in national water management systems.
Executive director of the Water Users Association of Malawi (Wasama), Vitumbiko Mkandawire, also backed BWB’s initiative to seal unlicensed boreholes.
Mkandawire urged the public to apply for abstraction rights from NWRA before drilling, noting that compliance “protects the public from avoidable disruptions and financial setbacks.”
Water resources expert Brighton Chunga explained that unregulated pumping tips the balance of renewable resources, leading to aquifer depletion and declining water tables.
Beyond supply i ssues, he highlighted the risk of microbial and chemical contamination—a problem already documented in many Blantyre townships.
Chunga,who is a senior researcher in water resources modelling at Mzuzu University, noted that residents who illegally connect borehole systems to the BWB network create pressure imbalances that can contaminate the entire public water supply.
He highlights risks of microbial and chemical contamination in Blantyre’s water, often tied to a declining water table and improper borehole connections to the BWB system.
He advises owners of unlicensed boreholes to seek an extension for compliance, following NWRA regulations requiring licensing under the Water Resources Act 2013 and Waterworks Act.
“The contamination risks may be linked to a decline in the water table, given the complex relationship between groundwater and surface water.
Another aspect of this is that in some cases, people connect their borehole systems to the BWB water reticulation system, which creates pressure imbalances and may contaminate the water supplied by BWB,” he said.
The expert further noted that the Water Resources Act (2013) and the Waterworks Act provide effective means of managing water resources, including requirements for the commercial use of groundwater to be licensed.
However, Chunga stated that over the last year, the NWRA issued a public notice, requiring people to license their boreholes, including those drilled before the law came into effect.
“If the 162 boreholes in question were not licensed during that window, I suggest these businesses request an extension to finalise the licensing process.
“As a country, we must prioritise maintaining accurate and up-to-date water resources data, including abstraction volumes, since knowing how much water is being withdrawn is fundamental to effective planning and management,” he said.
“We must know how much water is being abstracted, whether for commercial use or otherwise. Simply put, you can only manage what you measure,” he explained.
But Chunga noted that the NWRA cannot reliably quantify abstraction from specific catchments. This shortfall undermines the water balance analyses essential for sound resource management.
But financial analyst Sylvester Malumba cautioned that the initiative’s success hinges on BWB’s ability to provide a reliable, cost-effective supply.
“Otherwise, it risks hiking operational costs and pushing businesses toward informa l alternatives,” Malumba observed.
He noted that while the move might offer short-term gains, long-term economic value requires infrastructure investment and efficient tariff structures.
BWB’s move comes as the board shows signs of recovery. In the 2024/25 financial year, BWB reduced its net loss to K10.2 billion from K37.8 billion the previous year. This turnaround was largely driven by the September 2024 tariff adjustment and a strategic agreement with Escom that lowered monthly electricity bills.
According to the 2024/25 Consolidated Report for State- Owned Enterprises (SOEs) released by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation, BWB faces severe financial risks due to a declining customer base in key sectors. The report identified BWB as one of the most financially-challenged SOEs in Malawi.
Says the report: “The board continues to struggle with high operational costs and a heavy debt burden, notably owing over K28 billion in arrears to Escom.”
Revenue loss
The report says commercial, inst itutional, and industr ial customers are increasingly drilling their own boreholes to avoid relying on BWB’s supply. It warns that because these are “heavy usage” customers, the financial losses are “substantial” without mitigating measures.
The report emphasises that stricter oversight is necessary to ensure these private users comply with regulations and to monitor the long-term health of the water table.
Four years ago, a two-month undercover investigation by our sister newspaper Nation on Sunday revealed that some urban lodge owners were supplying guests with unsafe water.
This water, sourced from boreholes and shallow wells drilled on-site, was being illegally connected to piped water systems.
According to a 2017 National Statistical Office (NSO) report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 5 000 Malawians die annually from diarrhea—nearly 90 percent of which is linked to poor water, sanitation, and hygiene.
In February 2021, Weekend Nation revealed that a government-sanctioned audit found tap water supplied by the country’s five water boards was contaminated with unacceptable chemical levels.
Established under the 1995 Malawi Water Works Act, BWB supplies about 86 million litres of water daily to 85 percent of Blantyre’s 1.5 million domestic consumers as well as commercial, industrial and institutional entities. However, the utility has faced years of losses driven by high non-revenue water, low production, and delayed tariff adjustments.
These financial struggles were highlighted recently when BWB cancelled 20 prospective contracts due to budget constraints, a move that sparked concerns over transparency and procurement planning.
