23 Oct 2024

The commissioning of the state-of-the-art Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant expansion project places Botswana as a centre of excellence in water infrastructure development regionally and in the continent.

Commissioning the plant in Mmamashia on Tuesday, Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila said the country had made strides in improving water security infrastructure and had achieved some milestones in delivering quality water around the country.

Dr Mzwinila said the plant and other water infrastructure projects had improved water distribution network and further improved water access to every Motswana by 98 per cent.

He said the smart prepaid water metres were some of the initiatives in place that positioned Botswana as a centre of excellence in water infrastructure.

“These metres will guide water users about their consumption and serve to monitor leakages in the event that consumption patterns are questionable. A lot of countries will be benchmarking from us in the region,” he said, adding that Mmamashia plant would improve water reliability of the North South Carrier (NSC) scheme as well as the quality of life in general as industries would also benefit from it. Dr Mzwinila said 34 villages would benefit from the plant, ending water drought in the Southern part of Botswana in places including Mochudi, Gaborone, Ramotswa, Lobatse, GoodHope, Molepolole, Moshupa, Kanye and surrounding villages.

The plant was designed to augment water supply in greater Gaborone, increasing water treatment capacity by 110 million litres a day from Dikgatlhong and Lestibogo dams through the NSC pipeline, Dr Mzwinila said.

The minister commended Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) and contractors for efficiently executing the project, as well as Bakgatla for the support they rendered throughout the implementation phase of the  projects.

WUC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Gaselemogwe Senai said the Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant Expansion, the biggest in the country, was designed to receive and treat water from Dikgatlhong and Letsibogo dams through the NSC pipeline. 

He said the plant had the capacity to treat water from Gaborone Dam and Masama Wellfields, thereby improving the resilience of water supply.

The project that was awarded to four companies through design and build model started in 2020, but was delayed by unforeseen circumstances including COVID-19, Mr Senai explained.

He also said the expansion project included a control room that served as a national operating centre, a boardroom and some residential houses for staff members. 

Kgatleng District council chairperson, Mr Daniel Molokwe commended WUC for the work and stated that Bakgatla were grateful to have been part of the project.

He said he was happy that Bakgatla would benefit from the NSC water works. Ends