LWB eyes K37BN for water supply project
The Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) says it needs $45 million (about K37 billion) to expand its water supply to the Lilongwe city’s ever-growing population.
LWB board chairperson George Kajanga said this on Wednesday when Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia and her deputy John Bande toured the board’s facilities to appreciate the state of its operations.
Kajanga said the justification for the loan stems from the fact that the number of people that need water supply is increasing and the water supply system has glitches to be amended.
He said: “When we increase our capacity through the financing, we will obviously achieve our mandate of supplying water to the city of Lilongwe.
“Lilongwe city continues to grow due to urbanisation as people continuously come to the city, which needs us to expand our water supply coverage”.
Kajanga explained that the board is concerned that the Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project (LWSP) Loan Authorisation Bill keeps appearing and disappearing on the Parliamentary Order Paper, hence called on the minister to support its tabling and passing.
He said the Board has thousands of water connection applications that require capital to expand its water supply capacities to meet demand.
In an interview, Mia said she will engage Leader of the House and Minister of Finance to ensure that the loan Authorisation Bill materialises to support expansion works of the Board.
She said she was encouraged that the Board wants to improve its infrastructure and water supply as, currently, the Board is producing about 125 000 cubic metres of water per day, but they want to reach 175 000 cubic metres through the loan Authorisation Bill.
She said: “Due to urbanisation, the Board needs to be proactive to increase investments to reach all customers with potable water.”
Mia urged the Board to continue working on the problem of non-revenue water losses now at 39 percent from 42 percent, with a target to reduce further to 25 percent as a recommended percentage.
Lilongwe faces water supply challenges due to dwindling water resources, lack of finances for infrastructure development, and aging water systems.
Meanwhile, with funding from European Investment Bank (EIB), LWB has been implementing the Lilongwe Water Resource Efficiency Programme, through which it has been rehabilitating and raising the Kamuzu Dam 1 by seven metres to secure water resources to 2025.
LWB chief executive officer Silli Mbewe said the construction of the third water treatment plant was at an advanced stage that will see stable water supply.
LWB has two water treatment plants with a combined production capacity of 125 000m3/day.
