11 Oct 2020

Since April, 99.5 per cent of customers, whose water lines were disconnected by Water Utilities Corporation (WUC), have been reconnected to ensure that water remains available to all citizens.

Briefing the media in Gaborone on Friday October 9, on WUC’s sustainability efforts to supply the nation with water during COVID-19 State of Emergency, WUC Chief Operations Officer, Mr Mathews Sebina said 37 825 of 38 053 reconnections were made whilst 502 new customer connections were also done from April 1-24.

Mr Sebina said water remained available in most parts of the country with an average availability of 21.4 hours out of 24 hours a day and water supply coverage of 95 per cent was also achieved across the country.

He further said supply challenges were experienced in the already challenged areas such as Kanye, Good Hope, Gabane, Molepolole, Matebele, Letlhakane, Ralekgetho, Hukuntsi, Gumare, Mahotshwane, Sefhare and Mmathethe, where supply is augmented by bowsing. 

In addition, Mr Sebina said public standpipes remained available for use by community members without access to piped water, with a total of 312 out of 422 prepaid standpipes functional, and continuously repaired as they were prone to vandalism.

“A total of 76 vehicles, 40 bowsers and 36 flatbed trucks were availed from councils and central government departments in different parts of the country and are assisting in bowsing water to stressed areas,” he said.

Citing challenges that the corporation faced, Mr Sebina said pressure on the organisation was to provide water on newly recognised settlements, ungazetted settlements and in unserviced areas.

He also said there was vandalism of the corporation water supply assets and transmission lines.

As means of ractification, the chief operations officer explained that the corporation was able to place water tanks in some of the unserviced areas.  

For his part, customer care director, Mr Goitseone Tshiamiso appealed to the public to prioritise payments including unpaid bills.

As a way of adhering to the COVID-19 protocols, Mr Tshiamiso said the corporation had introduced a smart metering system, which was introduced in a few areas in Gaborone, for real time monitoring of water meters.

“This new project will improve control of water usage and utilisation,” he concluded. ENDS