10 Mar 2020

Government is undertaking an emergency project to rehabilitate 11 boreholes in order to manage water demand in Maun and peripheral villages,

Addressing North West District full council meeting recently, council chairperson, Mr Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho said government intended to fast track the borehole rehabilitation process so that the results could be realised within the next three months.

He said the boreholes were expected to produce 4 485 000 litres per day, adding that, ‘this can address the 31 per cent water shortage currently experienced in the Maun.’

The council chairperson stated that the total demand as at 2019 for Maun and peripheral villages stood at 14 715 000 litres per day, saying the figure was revised annually.

With regards to short term mitigations, Mr Ntsogotlho said water rationing was used as a measure to equitably distribute the available water with priority areas being hospitals, prisons and boarding institutions.

Additionally, Mr Ntsogotlho said where there was no distribution network, government institutions such as clinics, primary schools and other public areas were supplied through water bowsing.

For medium and long term interventions, he said Maun Phase II Project was packaged into four contracts, adding that one contract would deal with network rehabilitation and expansion.

The councillors were told that contract two was recently awarded and was undergoing cooling off period.

The contractor would deal with borehole developments of all the 30 high yielding, electrification of all the boreholes, construction of transmission lines from all the boreholes, construction of water treatment plant and construction of a master balancing reservoir.

The third contractor, Mr Ntsogotlho said, would deal with construction of two waste water treatment plants on either side of the Thamalakane River while the last contractor would work on water supply to the peripheral villages.

Mr Ntsogotlho noted that the tendering process for the last two contractors was being finalised and would be awarded in the next financial year. The four contracts, he said, were scheduled to be completed at the same time as they complement each other.

As for villages of Mababe and Khwai, which had single source boreholes with low yielding but able to meet the water demands, he said Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) would explore utilisation of solar energy and telemetry to operate boreholes in the area.

He said it was anticipated that the intervention would minimise daily risks faced by employees as well as improve water supply reliability.

The chairperson appreciated that villages of Makalamabedi, Phuduhudu and Chanoga had benefited from the recently completed Boteti northern cluster villages water supply scheme and were being adequately supplied.

He also pointed out that Gumare recently benefited from the 720 000 liter per day packaged water treatment plant which was relocated from Shakawe Senior Secondary School.

The treatment plant according to Mr Ntsogotlho had improved supply reducing the water shortage from 88.6 per cent to 58.9 per cent.

However, he said water shortage was still high and government had taken a deliberate decision to fast track procurement of a 3 000 000 litres per day water treatment plant in Gumare.

Mr Ntsogotlho said the initiative sought to resolve the current water crisis noting that when the two treatment plants ran concurrently, they would deliver 3,720 000 litres per day of potable water to the Gumare as well as Etsha. ENDS