L
ilongwe City residents are expected to benefit from increased water supply following the approval of 15 million euro (about K14.4 billion) loan by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance construction of a water treatment plant.
Malawi Government has secured the funds which Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) will use to construct a third water treatment plant (TW3) at its waterworks in Area 3, off Likuni Road.
In an interview, Minister of Finance Felix Mlusu said government welcomed the partnership with EIB through the provision of vital financing for development projects in the country.
“The financing towards the TW3 under the LWB has come at the right time as it will help the board to provide potable water to the growing urban population in the city and surrounding areas,” he said.
In a separate interview, LWB acting chief executive officer Silli Mbewe said the construction of TW3 is critical following the upgrading of Kamuzu Dam 1.
He said: “Water production will increase from 125 000 cubic metres (m3) per day to 175 000m3 per day at an assurance level of between 96 and 97 percent.
“This will mean that we will be able to abstract and treat an additional 50 000m3 per day which is enough to meet the growing water demand.”
The board has two water treatment plants (TW1 and TW2) with a combined production capacity of 125 000m3 per day.
However, the plants operate at 80 percent capacity, producing an average of 105 000m3 per day.
The feasibility and preliminary design studies for the TW3 Project were done in 2016.
