25 Jun 2020

Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) is implementing a new water treatment plant project to improve the water supply situation   in Gumare and surrounding areas, as a medium term solution.

The P36 million project, dubbed Gumare packaged water treatment plant and associated works, has been awarded to China Estate Construction Engineering Company.
Envisaged to be completed in eight months, the project is meant to address the mid-term water requirements and also improve access to potable water.

Speaking during a meeting to introduce the project and the contractor to stakeholders to facilitate smooth implementation, head of business centre from WUC, Mr Thabo Ndadi stated that the project would be an answer to the communities’ woes.

The project, he said commenced on the  May 12, 2020 and it is scheduled to be completed in January 2021.

He said it was expected to produce 3000m3 per day, which means it would supply the affected areas and have surplus, considering the villages water network.

Mr Ndadi pointed out that water demand at Gumare, as the headquarters of Okavango Ssub-district, stood at 1 830m3cubic metres per day, while the available supply capacity was 720m3 per day.

He noted that the inadequate water supply highlighted that the area was water stressed because of the deficit, as the existing Gumare interconnection water scheme supplied the villages of Gumare, Xanxana and Tubu, which currently recorded water shortages.

“The new plant will alleviate the current water shortages, while the long-term intervention is planned and the configuration of the existing plant also does not provide for colour and odor removal, which is of concern during the rise and fall of the river levels, which justifies the need to urgently upgrade to meet present and future demands as well as set water quality standards,” he added.

As a mitigation measure while awaiting the completion of the new project, he said the corporation had to bowse water from distant areas such as Sepopa and Tsau to augment supply.

Though not adequate, he acknowledged that has relieved the communities of the affected villages as an immediate intervention.

Although Mr Ndadi stated tthat the process to bowse water had been costly, both on distance and the operational condition of the road.

He revealed that the initial Gumare water supply was through transmission of treated water from Sepopa village through a 315mm water main pipeline, which was prone to vandalism by both wildlife and humans and the cost was significantly higher.

Stakeholders were informed that most villages outside Gumare had a single source water supply, leading to water shortages during borehole breakdowns.

Mr Ndadi also revealed that most boreholes were located more than five kilometres outside the village in wildlife infested areas and as such the operators’ ability to start and switch the borehole every day became a challenge.

Giving an overview of the project, project engineer, Mr Motshidi Mosweu revealed that shortage of water situation in Gumare was worrisome, not only to the communities, but to the corporation and the government.

Although he said efforts were made by the corporation to reduce the impact, he noted that as a short-term mitigation, in 2019 a package plant was relocated from Shakawe and re-installed 12km from Gumare to alleviate the situation, though with limited capacity.

In addition, he said government put aside P25 million to improve water networks, but the corporation requested an increase of the budget to do a medium term solution project, hence the Gumare packaged water treatment plant. ENDS