Africa-Press – Botswana. Ongoing construction and commissioning of Kasane water treatment works project is expected to end the water woes in the Chobe District.
Addressing a kgotla meeting in Kazungula on Friday, Minister of Justice and MP for Chobe, Mr Machana Shamukuni assured residents of Chobe that the ongoing water treatment and works project would solve the crisis in the district, hence called residents to be patient as the project neared completion.
He pointed out that the state of the art water treatment plant underscored government’s commitment to ensuring that every Motswana had access to potable water at all times.
He also said the current water treatment plant and pipes were old and dilapidated, which could lead to discoloration of water, especially in situations where water from the source was too silted, adding that underground pipe reticulation and installation of three pump stations were now complete.
Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) general manager, Mr John Froese acknowledged that they had experienced water discoloration from February to March in Kazungula and Lesoma villages.
He highlighted that the water reticulation pipes were old, hence liable to turn rusty, which led to the brownish discoloration.
He said WUC flushed pipes in all affected areas and cleaned tanks to eliminate the brownish residue, and apologised to the public for the situation.
Mr Froese assured community that Water Utilities Corporation conducted tests on a daily basis to ensure water was palatable for consumption and to conform to Botswana Bureau of Standards, which called for testing of water on a daily basis.
The tests, he said, eliminated any possibilities of health scares that may be caused by water, therefore dismissed allegations that water may have caused cholera in Kazungula.
Residents of Kazungula had expressed worry with discolored water, alleging that consuming the water could cause sicknesses such as cholera.
Furthermore they demanded to know measures in place to ensure an efficient supply of potable water to their village.
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