Blantyre Water Board has launched a ‘Malawi Water and Sanitation project’ to address the ongoing water crisis that has been affecting the residents of Blantyre for years.
The project, which is being funded by the World Bank with $145 million, will last for five years.
According to Dalitso Godia, the Supply Manager at Blantyre Water Board, the project aims to improve access to better water supply and sanitation services in the city.
Currently, the utility water body is struggling to provide water to new connections due to the rapid population growth.
The project will involve rehabilitating and upgrading the pumping equipment at Mudi, Chichiri, Nyambadwe Walkers, and Chileka intake to ensure stable water supply to the city residents.
Additionally, solar PV power will be installed at eight water intakes to reduce high electricity costs, which have been negatively affecting water supply.
Blantyre City Council will also benefit from the project, as the sewage pipeline will be rehabilitated over a 50-kilometer distance in the city.
This initiative will help reduce pollution and the incidence of water-borne diseases such as cholera, which have been tormenting some households in the city.
The project is expected to directly benefit 330,000 Blantyre residents with improved water supply and 480,000 people with managed refuse collection services after the rehabilitation and upgrading of water and sewage waste infrastructures.
The Malawi Government is implementing the five-year project with funding from the World Bank through the Blantyre Water Board and Blantyre City Council.
Upon completion of the project in 2028, the council expects to improve good hygiene and sanitation among the city residents.
Furthermore, a new recycling and dumping site will be constructed at Chigumula to replace the Dzeka dumping site, which is currently in a bad state.
