Water supply challenges that Kampala city dwellers have faced for years due to the ever growing population will soon become history.
According to the National Water Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Kampala area General Manager Mahmood Lutaaya the water works at Katosi Plant which are in final stages will add to their water sources to address the shortages that Kampala has been facing.
“ We have good news for city dwellers, that the Katosi plant system tests will commence January 2021 as the contractor prepares to hand over the project for operationalization in the first quarter of 2021” he said.
“Pumps have been installed. We are now laying 500 meters of abstraction pipes into the lake. The reservoirs at Nsumba, Ssonde and the new Namugongo pumping station have all been completed; the 55kms transmission main from Katosi, Mukono, Seeta, Namugongo, Naalya and Ntinda to the Naguru Reservoir is 95% complete. The total project is 90% complete” Lutaaya added.
In a separate interview the contractor said the entire construction works of Katosi water treatment/ Katosi water works is currently at 90 percent complete.
The water treatment facility is under construction in the lake side town of Katosi in Ntenjeru sub-county Mukono district.
The construction started in 2019 but in 2011, the government through National Water and Sewage Corporation (NWSC) began to make plans to construct a water treatment facility at Katosi, to augment the facility at Ggaba to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population of Kampala metropolitan area.
The plant is expected to pump 160,000 cubic meters (160 million Liters) of water daily, expandable to 240,000 cubic meters (240 million liters) daily.
According to the Quality Engineer, Mr Simon Ssembela, civil works is at 90 percent; that’s mechanical and electrical.
“It’s only laying some pipes from the lake and connecting electricity to some areas remaining but everything is now finished and the actual pumping of water will be Early next year,” he said.
During an evaluation visit to the treatment plant project site by stakeholders from Wakiso, Mukono and Kampala districts, it was revealed that the water treatment plant is expected to be operational by January next year.
Eng. Badru Kiggundu, the board chairman NWSC said Katosi plant will help supply enough water to Kampala and the surrounding areas.
“I am confident that the Katosi project will be ready to consumers in early 2021,” Eng. Kiggundu said.
He advised Ugandans against water theft and to put it to optimum use.
Lillian Namukasa a resident in Mukono district lauded NWSC for the project and asked government to make water affordable for all Ugandans saying water is life.
Eng. Lutaaya revealed that they discovered that they lose 40 percent of water pumped due to theft.
“We spend a lot of money and try to make sure that water reaches people’s homes but we have a few Ugandans who try out all means of stealing water,” Eng Lutaaya said.
Eng. Silver Mugisha the MD of NWSC said their Five Year Strategic Direction; 2013-2018 was reviewed to 2016 -2021.
“This was to take stock of the government’s changing priorities to deliver Uganda to the middle income status by 2020. The NWSC Strategic Direction takes into account the strategic and overarching Government Policy of transforming Uganda from a peasantry to a modern and prosperous economy as enshrined in the National Development Plan (NDPII), NRM manifesto (2016-2021) as well as Vision 2040. The implementation of the strategic direction was guided by the four (4) strategic priority areas of the balanced scorecard” he added.
Credit: eastafricanwatch.net
