Tuesday, September 26, 2023
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • E-edition
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • News
  • Economy
  • Columns
  • Companies & Markets
  • In Business With
  • Lifestyle
    • Motoring
  • Sports
    Tumisang Orebonye: Overcoming Against Adversity to Reach for the Stars

    ‘Winning The CAF Super Cup Is A Dream Come True’ – Orebonye

    BAA Needs Over P3m For World Champs

    Botswana’s Sporting Future in Jeopardy: School Sports Suspension Threatens Athletic Excellence

    No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

    “No Pressure for Tebogo at Diamond League Finals”

    BOKA Aims to Host Two Prestigious International Karate Competitions

    BOKA Aims to Host Two Prestigious International Karate Competitions

    FM Botswana 2022 conference: transformation towards a greener FM 

    StanChart CEO Underscores Role of UB Marathon in Boosting Botswana’s Sports Tourism

    No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

    No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

    Trending Tags

    • Subscribe
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • News
    • Economy
    • Columns
    • Companies & Markets
    • In Business With
    • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
    • Sports
      Tumisang Orebonye: Overcoming Against Adversity to Reach for the Stars

      ‘Winning The CAF Super Cup Is A Dream Come True’ – Orebonye

      BAA Needs Over P3m For World Champs

      Botswana’s Sporting Future in Jeopardy: School Sports Suspension Threatens Athletic Excellence

      No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

      “No Pressure for Tebogo at Diamond League Finals”

      BOKA Aims to Host Two Prestigious International Karate Competitions

      BOKA Aims to Host Two Prestigious International Karate Competitions

      FM Botswana 2022 conference: transformation towards a greener FM 

      StanChart CEO Underscores Role of UB Marathon in Boosting Botswana’s Sports Tourism

      No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

      No House For Tebogo Despite Astral Performance in Budapest

      Trending Tags

      • Subscribe
      No Result
      View All Result
      The Business Weekly & Review
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home News

      WUC explains the water crisis

      According to the CEO of Water Utilities Corporation, Gaselemogwe Senai, the water shortage in Greater Gaborone is due to an inefficient water distribution system and WUC’s limited storage capacity and has nothing to do with performance of the 100km Masama-Mmamashia pipeline that he says can actually perform at its maximum capacity.

      mm by Kabo Ramasia
      April 1, 2022
      in News
      Reading Time: 3 mins read
      0
      WUC explains the water crisis

      GABORONE 21 March 2022, Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) briefs the media on 21 March 2022 on the planned shut down Oodi-Mmamashia North South Carrier pipeline to fix a major leak on the pipeline. The shutdown will start from 24 March until 26 March 2022, resulting in water supply interruption in Mochudi, Lobatse, Gaborone and surrounding areas. WUC chief executive officer Gaselemogwe Senai briefs the Media at site where the fixing will take place. (Pic:PRESS PHOTO)

      Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

      Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) is hoarding the headlines again. Chief amongst the issues is the recently commissioned 100km Masama-Mmamashia pipeline constructed by Khato Civils (Pty) Ltd and water supply interruptions and shortages.

      The Business Weekly & Review recently established and reported that the 100km Masama-Mmamashia Pipeline currently pumps water at only 20 percent of its project design scope of 64 megalitres (mL) of water per day, which comes to a measly 13 megalitres per day.

      In an exclusive interview this week, the CEO of Water Utilities Corporation, Gaselemogwe Senai confirmed that the Masama pipeline pumps only 13.7mL per day. According to Senai, this is because of technical reasons associated with WUC storage capacity and water distribution networks.

      Prior to its commissioning, a rigorous quality assurance process that involved the Programmes Manager, the Project Manager, the Resident Engineer and several technicians was carried out. Senai says the process entailed subjecting the pipeline to a hydrostatic test to check if it can withstand pressure. “When we do the hydrostatic tests, we are expected to test the pipe at a pressure higher than the pressure required by the project scope (required operating pressure) to ascertain quality,” he told The Business Weekly & Review. “I can assure you that the 100km Masama Pipeline has passed all the pressure tests.” He added that the pipeline is currently not pumping 64mL per day also because of unpredictable power cuts which affect water pumping systems.

      Currently there is an unending water shortage within the Greater Gaborone. Senai says prior to the construction of the 100km pipeline, there was a 30mL water deficit in Greater Gaborone and the idea to use Masama wellfields to plug the deficit came into the picture. The philosophy at WUC is to use surface water at maximum output and supplement the deficit with groundwater because surface water is easily depletable, he explains.

      Senai says after the Masama pipeline was commissioned, WUC deliberately decided to pump only 13.7mL per day from the Masama wellfields to help supplement the deficit in Greater Gaborone. WUC is aware that some places are still running dry while there is low pressure in others. His explanation is that the utility’s water reservoirs have limited capacity. This means even if WUC had wanted to pump more water from the Masama wellfields, the reservoirs would not accommodate the increased volume. Water pumped from the Masama Wellfields and that coming through the North-South Carrier (NSC) first goes to the reservoirs (catchment storage areas) before it is distributed through WUC’s various networks (water distribution pipes). However, Senai says the distribution networks are dilapidated and lose about 40 percent of water pumped through leakages in pipes. In addition to this, power interruptions affect water pumping and the flow of water.

      The Business Weekly & Review asked Senai why the 100km Masama-Mmamashia pipeline was prioritised in the face of these issues. His answer is that a decision was made to at least ensure that water is pumped from the North of Botswana to the South of the country.  “As for the leakages, the plan is that we will slowly but surely fix them,” he said. “But we have to keep pumping the water.” In WUC’s geography, Greater Gaborone includes Mochudi, Ramotswa, Kanye and Moshupa and the outlying environs of these population centres.

      Senai says for the water situation to normalise, a huge investment in the range of billions of pula will be needed to upgrade the water distribution networks, especially in the south of Botswana. “What we need to do is upgrade all our storage reservoirs and rehabilitate all our distribution networks, at least in the major 17 villages in Botswana,” he emphasises. To that end, Molepolole and Kanye distribution networks are prioritised in the National Development Plan (NDP) 12. WUC is currently reconstructing the Borolong -Goodhope water distribution network to interconnect around 32 villages there.

      Senai is anxious to make it understood that until WUC’s storage reservoirs and water distribution networks in Greater Gaborone are rehabilitated, the existing water challenges will persist. “Unfortunately, we cannot do everything at a go because of financial constraints,” he says. “In the Greater Francistown area, we were at some point able to do everything because we got a loan from an international financier at the time. We wish we could do that now but circumstances do not permit. However, plans are in place to ensure that we fix the water challenges.”

      Tags: 100km Masama-Mmamashia pipelineGaselemogwe SenaiKhato Civils (Pty) LtdNational Development Plan (NDP) 12Water Utilities Corporation

      Navigation

      • Home
      • News
      • Economy
      • Columns
      • Companies & Markets
      • In Business With
      • Lifestyle
        • Motoring
      • Sports
      • Subscribe

      Recent News

      • September 22nd Edition
      • Court Grants CAAB Right to Attach Defaulting Tenants’ Property
      • Judiciary Clash Over Debswana-Infotrac Case
      • Gambling Authority Braces For Record Attendance at IAGR Conference
      • KGK Diamonds Commended for Citizen Empowerment

      Site

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Contact
      • Subscribe
      • E-edition

      © 2021 The Business Weekly & Review. All Rights Reserved.

      No Result
      View All Result
      • Home
      • News
      • Economy
      • Columns
      • Companies & Markets
      • In Business With
      • Lifestyle
        • Motoring
      • Sports
      • Subscribe

      © 2021 The Business Weekly & Review. All Rights Reserved.

      Welcome Back!

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password? Sign Up

      Create New Account!

      Fill the forms below to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In
      This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
      Are you sure want to unlock this post?
      Unlock left : 0
      Are you sure want to cancel subscription?