Water rationing hits Maun as Treatment Plant is shut down

 

Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) on Wednesday shut down the Borolong plant in Maun, to start the works of replacing the malfunctioning Actifio Clarifier pump and filter unit.

 

Acting Corporate Communications Manager at WUC, Beauty Mokoba told Botswana Guardian that the new works at the plant are expected to resolve the discerning colour currently observed in Maun. She said the works would be done jointly with the plant contractor, Veolia Water Technologies and is expected to complete mid this month.

Mokoba said WUC procured the components and equipment required to undertake the works from South Africa at the tune of P1.4 million. She said that Delta water tends to be different from perennial and ephemeral rivers as the water is subject to drying up and flooding.

She said this consequently makes the water quality to change with the flooding of the river as turbitides and colour tend to be enhanced. Asked if the plant water plant station was inspected before the plant came into operation, Mokoba responded in the affirmative.“All major projects undertaken by WUC are subjected to Environmental Assessment which basically informs the impact of the projects on the environment,” she said. She explained that, however an analysis of raw water is carried out to inform the design of the plant while the water demand on the other side informs the size of the plant.

Mokoba said that as a result of the plant closure, water shortage is expected in Maun during the maintenance period. She explained that this is because the water  will be supplied drawn from boreholes which only produce five million litres of water per day, down from the 11 million litres of water that is currently supplied to Maun when Borolong Plant is in operation. “As a mitigation measure, the corporation will ration the water in line with the drawn rationing schedule,” explained Mokoba. Borolong plant is located in Borolong ward near Maun General Clinic and it supplies water to more than 60 percent of the Maun village.