25 Jul 2013

The sole Palapye waste water treatment plant with a capacity to discharge 11 million mega litres of waste water will be expanded.

Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) general manager, Ms Daphne Motsumi said in an interview that the corporation had realised the need to expand the plant after its takeover last year so that it caters for the fast growing population of Palapye. “We are aware that the waste water plant cannot cope, so after recurring funds the plant will be expanded,” she said.

To address a high demand for water in the area, Ms Motsumi said the expansion of the Palapye water treatment works would be carried out under the country’s North South Carrier water transfer scheme.

She therefore emphasised the importance of water conservation saying that dams in the South of the country were rapidly getting dry, adding Gaborone dam could supply the area up to 10 months whilst Bokaa dam was left with only four months. She therefore said if the two dams did not receive enough flows then Letsibogo dam will be under pressure.

She said water rationing which is currently carried out in some areas will at some point be implemented in Palapye hence the need for the community to conserve water.

She said the corporation has deployed a team of employees whose role is to ensure that the community abides by the restrictive measures in place to conserve water.

She said the exercise has been ‘very’ fruitful as the corporation managed to close car wash businesses which use hose pipes as such wasting portable water. In addition she said through the exercise the corporation managed to nab people who use portable water to water their gardens.

Senior Assistant Council Secretary Mr Koti Molefi welcomed the expansion of the water treatment works saying the population of Palapye was growing at a fast pace as such that will ensure that the area does experience a shortage of water.

He also commended the corporation for good supply of water in Palapye saying the area has never experienced water shortage.

However, he said the corporation should fast track the expansion of the waste water plant to cater for the fast growing population of Palapye, saying if not addressed as soon as possible, it will result in a crisis.

He said developments carried out in the area such as the second university BIUST, Morupule B, Glass manufacturing plant and the steel manufacturing plant are going to attract a high number of workers as such that will result in high demand for water hence the need for expansion of the waste plant.ENDS