05 Mar 2024

Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) general manager (North), Mr Lucas Makepe says for more than two weeks, Tutume and North East districts have been experiencing scarcity of water supply. 

Briefing the North East District Special Full Council on Monday March 4, Mr Makepe said the crisis started at the Masingwaneng water treatment plant, where a coagulant dosing pump, which drew a measured amount of liquid into its chamber and injected the chemical into a tank failed to comply with the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBs) requirements. 

“The problem that caused water shortage was viscosity of chemicals,” he said. 

Mr Makepe said the water quality analysts based at the plant sampled and conducted tests on every chemical supplied to check if it was within the parameters of the standard and the results revealed that it had high viscosity, too thick for the pumps to pump it. 

He said the dosage pumps were two; one on duty while another was on standby, adding that they were previously both functional, but because of the thickness of chemical supplied, the first pump began to overheat. 

“The second pump was tried and the same signs of failing to pump was displayed and we installed a bigger pump. The pump displayed a low deficiency and it also failed,” he said. 

A contingency plan was immediately put in place by purchasing new pumps. 

He said they then collected chemicals from Shashe that were being used to run the Masingwaneng plant. 

He said WUC could not pump water and as a result, the only choice left was to dispose water at the Masingwaneng Plant to the recovery pond as the domestic water was going to come with particles.

 “One of the requirements of WUC is to be 100 per cent compliant before water could be dispersed to customers,” he said. 

A decision was then taken to shut down the plant as the water was not compliant. 

As a result, all the villages in the North East were without water and this was the longest dry spell. 

While some villages were on recovery, he said Ramokgwebana and Jacklas No.1 were still struggling as pumps were struck by lightning and the contractor was working to avert the situation. 

He said supplying two districts  from one pump was overstretching it, as such, when something happens, it collapses especially in the villages in the eastern corridor. 

“The corporation had to cut water supply to Masunga and Tutume so that they could build capacity and pressure to Mbalambi,” he said. 

Councillor for Moroka Mr Vincent Mooketsi urged WUC to inform the residents about the shortage of water as much as they disconnect those who fail to pay bills. 

Cllr Molomo Maano of Ditladi wondered if the corporation purchased low quality and substandard chemicals. 

Cllr Bakani Badziili of Siviya said as a lot of funds had been spent, including a loan from the World Bank, an investigation should be conducted to establish the cause of the project malfunction before commissioning. 

In response, Mr Makepe said WUC would address kgotla meetings to update the residents about the water situation in the district. 

He also said WUC had water quality analysts who always conducted tests, but in this case, the supplier did not supply a sheet that showed the composition of the chemical. Ends