Africa-Press – Botswana. Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) has commissioned two boreholes at Kunyere North to augment the water supply in Maun.
The two boreholes are an early beneficiation of the ongoing Maun water supply and sanitation project expected to end the water shortage crisis brought about by the drying up of the Thamalakane River.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement session in Maun on Monday, WUC head of business centre – Maun, Mr Thabo Ndadi said the corporation and the project engineer had agreed to install power generators at the two boreholes to ensure water was pumped even during power outages.
“Our aim is to get value from the existing infrastructure of the ongoing project immediately while we await its completion next year,” he said. However, he indicated that the two boreholes were still insufficient, which compelled the corporation to effect water rationing in Maun.
Further, he said three more boreholes would be equipped and commissioned at Shashe well field by the end of this month. Mr Ndadi said the water demand for Maun and periphery was 15 million litres per day, but WUC was only able to supply 9.9 million litres due to the drying up of the main water source, the Thamalakane River.
He acknowledged that the Maun water crisis had been lingering for years, especially when the Thamalakane River dried up and noted that as a long-term measure, a study was being conducted on how feasible it would be to extract water from the Chobe Zambezi water source.
Moreover, he said the 15 boreholes in Shashe/Tsutsubega and four in Kunyere well field that were being refurbished and installed would provide adequate supply for Maun and surrounding areas until 2040.
Botswana Power Corporation engineer in the North West District Mr Kago Letshabo explained that a team had been deployed to expedite power connection to Tsutsubega and Kunyere boreholes to ensure that all mechanisms were functional by the time water flowed from the Okavango Delta.
“We are working hard and keen on deliverables because the Maun water supply and sanitation project is a national priority worth billions.” Mr Letshabo said the boreholes were in a special area of the Okavango Delta and required distinctive connections and a thorough Environment Impact Assessment.
He highlighted that BPC aimed to supply reliable power to pump stations, but noted that the recent power outages experienced across the country had resulted in Maun being one of the most affected by water supply disruptions. Mr Letshabo stated that power cable theft continued to be a cause for concern to the corporation.
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