BWB projects impress MPs
Blantyre Water Board (BWB) on Wednesday got a thumbs-up from the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises for its efforts to improve water supply to Blantyre City and surrounding areas.
Committee chairperson Lillian Patel said this when members of Parliament (MPs) under her committee toured BWB facilities at Chileka pumping station and Walker’s Ferry at Nkula to assess projects undertaken to improve water supply.
She said: “We went to Walker’s Ferry and now are at Chileka to appreciate for ourselves what was happening. As you are aware, six months before or two years now, there have been a lot of water shortages. But now things have improved. The whole committee is very satisfied with what the board is doing now.”
However, Patel urged the need to replace old pipes as the next phase of the project to facilitate smooth supply of water to consumers and minimise losses or levels of non-revenue water.
BWB acting chief executive Henry Bakuwa said as a board, they will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that water is available to consumers.
“Water distribution in the city of Blantyre has tremendously improved. With the commissioning of the Walker’s Ferry project, the board is now able to pump and supply enough water to meet the demand for the city of Blantyre.
“Of course, we are not in the most perfect situation at the moment. There is still room for improvement. Hence, we still need to do more as management to make sure that all the areas are perfectly served,” he said.
During the meeting, BWB management briefed the committee on plans to meet water demand by 2040. Some of the projects BWB highlighted include the ambitious Likhubula project in Mulanje and a new water source along the Shire River.
Earlier last year, BWB came under fire from consumers over failure to supply water around the clock due to several factors, including projects to enhance supply and encroachment on its catchment areas that reduced water levels and pumping capacity.
