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LWB loses K10bn in non-revenue water

Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) says the company has lost K10 billion in non-revenue water in the past year.

This came to light on Tuesday during the fifth joint coordinating committee meeting with Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica) on strengthening the board’s capacity of non-revenue water reduction.

In his remarks, LWB chief executive officer Silli Mbewe said during the 12 months period the company has lost 11 million cubic litres of water in the capital city due to water theft, meter tampering and aged infrastructure.

Burst pipes such as this lead to revenue losses

He said the board is working with Jica to empower its workers to reduce the loss currently at 42 percent.

Said Mbewe: “Some of the infrastructure we have is outdated, leading to pipe bursts, causing us to lose a lot of water. 

“Another factor is illegal water connections and tampering of meter readings. We are working with Jica to empower our members of staff in the management of non-revenue water.”

He has since appealed to the public and stakeholders to report illegal activities to their offices or through their helpline.

On his part, Jica chief representative Kazuhiro Tambara said they are ready to help LWB in reducing high levels of non-revenue water by providing necessary expertise.

He said: “Inefficient water distribution results in poor services.

“Therefore, we have dispatched Japanese experts to work with LWB to create suitable and sustainable innovations to make the losses manageable.”

Jica is funding the five-year non-revenue water project while the World Bank is supporting the board’s Water and Sanitation Project that seeks to replace outdated infrastructure.

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