08 Dec 2025

When the Maun Water Supply and Sanitation Phase II started in 2021, Maun residents celebrated with high hopes that it would offer a long-awaited solution to inconsistent water access.

They pinned their hopes on the project, envisaging that it would improve economic opportunities, health and livelihoods, among other benefits, after years of experiencing persistent water shortages despite the area having water sources such as rivers. The situation forced the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) to undertake measures like rationing.

However, that was not satisfactory, as many residents believed that water was a fundamental right and everyone had the right to sufficient, safe and accessible water for personal and domestic use.

However, government’s implementation of the multi-billion Pula project, intended to provide reliable access to clean, quality water and improve sanitation services in Maun and surrounding areas, brought hope to residents and fostered resilience against water scarcity.

The project was originally planned to be completed in 2023, but this was not the case as it is still ongoing due to several challenges encountered by contractors. It was unbundled into four components and awarded to four different contractors.

Recently, the Ministry of Water and Human Settlement took the district leadership and other stakeholders on a tour to review the project’s progress and the challenges that had caused the delay.

Deputy director from the Department of Technical Services, Mr Vincent Kinnear, recently admitted that the project had experienced delays but noted that some components were almost complete. Updating the gathering on the progress of the components implemented by Contractor 1 and 2, he highlighted that they intended to secure water sources, treat and distribute water to

Maun and satellite villages to meet their water demand and improve sanitation infrastructure.

The gathering learned that the delay in the extension of power to nine boreholes in the Gogomoga-Chuchubega wellfields by the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) was one of the major challenges causing water shortages in Maun and surrounding villages.

Mr Kinnear informed them that they had engaged BPC to provide adequate power for the operation of the aeration or filtration process, but were experiencing some delays. He said once the boreholes were electrified, shortage of water would be a thing of the past, as there would be water security and residents would enjoy reliable supply of quality potable water.

He also acknowledged other challenges that contributed to the project delays, which he said were, however, beyond their control.

He cited the COVID-19 outbreak, the contractor’s difficulty in accessing boreholes due to high water levels in the river channel, change in borehole water quality as well as poor condition of borehole casings and screens, which compromised the integrity of the boreholes to the design horizon.

To mitigate the situation, he said works were reprogrammed to take cognisance of the water levels, and the contractor had to drill 13 additional boreholes to ensure that water supply can be secured to the 2038 design horizon.

“The project is almost complete and the actual progress stood at 99.7 per cent. We had anticipated it to be complete by the end of November this year, but we now anticipate an extension to February 28, 2026, pending the completion of works by BPC,” he added.

Mr Kinnear further explained that Contractor 1 was responsible for water distribution and sanitation networks in Maun, while Contractor 2 focused on water source development, treatment and storage, including supply to Nxaraga, Komana and Somelo villages.

Earlier, Kgosi Tawana Moremi thanked officials from the Ministry of Water and Human Settlement for the update, noting that two years ago, there were many complaints from community members as they experienced severe water shortages, but with time, the situation had improved.

Moreover, Kgosi Tawana said he wished contractors could accelerate their efforts to complete the project, and  was optimistic that it would help alleviate the village’s persistent water shortage.

He emphasised the urgency of the project, urging authorities to avoid any more delays. ENDS