Lusaka undergoes drainage rehab

August 2 2016

SANITATION, mostly described as the promotion of health through prevention of human contact with hazards of waste, has remained one of the components required for a vigorous living in our society and this includes a hygienic and safe drainage system for one’s survival.

To this effect, the Government and the United States through its agency the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has developed a project to promote sanitation worth US$355 million.

The project dubbed “Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage (LWSSD) is a grant being implemented by Millennium Challenge Account-Zambia (MCA-Z) which was established under the laws of Zambia and designed by Government as an accountable entity.

The construction works which started on 6th May, 2016 for water and sanitation works, is a compact agreement that was agreed between MCC and GRZ and signed on 10th May, 2012.

The LWSSD project aims to improve the drainage system by rehabilitating and constructing new drainage infrastructure which will effectively reduce flooding in the central business district in Lusaka.

It also seeks to address productive days lost due to disease and time to collect water, cost of water and new sanitation, and business and residential flood losses.

Most ponds in Lusaka were constructed in the late 1970s to treat water for a larger population.

With the growth in population, over the years and economic developments in Lusaka, there has been corresponding increase in waste-water-flow to the ponds.

Despite the increase in water waste, the design capacity has remained the same, hence limiting the ponds’ capacity to effectively perform the treatment process.

The existing ponds will not only be rehabilited, but also expanded to increase the treatment capacity to cater for a much larger population.

However, more than 1.2 million people in Lusaka are likely to directly benefit from this investment.

On 227th July, 2016, minister of finance Alexander Chikwanda toured the project sites , also known as the Bombay drain that are currently under construction by Cooperative Muratori and Cementist (CMC) di Ravenna of Italy, the contractor working on the Contract Package (CP) 7 and 8 of the LWSSD.

The first site the minister inspected was the Evelyn Hone Collage section before proceeding to the second site located in Garden compound near Deeper life Church.

These drainage works the minister inspected are anchored on the comprehensive urban development plans for Lusaka.

Two of the three construction packages for drainage focus on rehabilitation which runs approximately 30 kilometres across Lusaka from Chilenge South to the Ngwere stream.

The works involve transforming existing natural courses and un-engineered drains by widening or deepening them in key locations, lining them with concrete to strengthen them, increase their carrying capacity and protect the infrastructure.

Trash traps will be built to enhance drainage maintenance, fencing will be added, and a number of bridges constructed as crossing points for resident, this will eliminate flooding and related negative traffic flow and protecting the property of households and business within the area.

Mr Chikwanda later proceeded to Kaunda Square where Mota Engil Engenharia Africa had begun the US$9.9 million works to upgrade and expand the Kaunda Square Waste stabilisation ponds located in the eastern part of Lusaka.

After the tour, Mr Chikwanda said he was impressed that constructions had started taking shape.

“This investment will improve the lives of people in Lusaka; people have been walking long distances in search of water, but once this project is completed, they will spend their time on more productive ventures that will economically empower them, as the water will have been brought closer to their homes,” he said.

And MCA chief executive officer Pamela Bwalya, who accompanied the minister, said the projects were also aimed at reducing poverty and promoting economic growth.

Recently, United States Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz said the US was proud to fund the project.

“The Republic of Zambia’s continuing commitment to investing in its people, economic freedom, and good governance made Zambia eligible for the $355 million five-year MCC Compact.

“Now, we celebrate the signing of the first of nine construction packages under this Compact for improving water, sanitation, and drainage in Lusaka,” he said.

The Kuanda square waste stabilisation ponds are located approximately 12 kilometres north-east of Lusaka’s central business district in an area called Chamba Valley.

These were constructed in 1970s in what was then a remote part of the city to provide sewage treatment for Kaunda Square and Woodlands with a population of less than 18,000.

By 2010, sewage flow to Kaunda Square stabilisation ponds increased to 5843m3/d while the catchment area increased to include parts of Kabulonga, Ibex Hill residential area, PHI as well as areas around vicinity.

However, despite the increase in sewage flow and in the catchment area, no expansion works has been done to the ponds.

Since 1970, there has not been any major maintenance works to the ponds, this has resulted in the overload of the ponds, collapse of the embankments separating the three treatment units, malfunctioning of the inlet and silting in the ponds.

The above problems have rendered the ponds ineffective in treating sewage, thereby failing to meet Zambia Environmental Agency (ZEMA) effluent regulations in the two parameters of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), hence the need for the LWSSD project.

Overall, the sub-projects are aimed at reducing poverty and promoting economic growth.