Water woes to continue in Blantyre

Distribution of water to residents in the city of Blantyre will be even more erratic after heavy rains washed away a Blantyre Water Board (BWB) distribution pipe that supplies water to 18 townships.

The pipe, which runs from the BWB water plant at Chichiri through to Wenela in Blantyre was cut off and washed away leading to a massive loss of water in the aftermath.

BWB Distribution Manager Bright Mziliwanda said the pipe supplies water to Soche zone which includes residential areas like Chinyonga, Mount Pleasant, Zingwangwa and Chilobwe.

“Maintenance of this project may take two to three days but we are trying our best that before Christmas people should have water in their homes,” Mziliwanda explained.

He said the board had subcontracted other companies to do some of the civil works to speed up the maintenance work.

In a separate interview, BWB Public Relations Officer Priscilla Mateyu said the board is waiting for the distribution department to maintain the damaged pipe.

She said that the board had already started delivering water to the affected areas.

“The distribution process of water through water tanks will continue to the affected places as well as to Limbe Zone, the area that has been facing water problem throughout the year,” Mateyu said.

She, however, pointed out that the development may disturb its programme of ensuring that normal supply of water to the entire city should be effected by March 2015.

Mateyu said there is a high potential of Blantyre Water Board registering a loss in the 2014 financial year due to the free water campaign it instituted following erratic water supply in affected areas.