The first phase of the multi-million Pula North South Carrier (NSC) pipes replacement project got underway on January 28 and is due to be completed on February 17 after 17 days of work.
The project will cost P440 million and covers five (5) shutdown phases running up to end of November 2019.
Water Utilities Corporation CEO Mmetla Masire has said the NSC phase 1 connection will boost water supply as it involves upgrading the old Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipes with Steel pipes.
Masire said after the completion of Phase 1, there will be improvement in water supply to the Greater Gaborone area which has been crippled with water shortage crisis.
“There has been extensive shortage of water in the areas surrounding Gaborone and we hoping for the better as the project unfolds. It will further expand and connect to Kanye, Good Hope and Molepolole where there is water shortage as well. We encourage the nation to remain patient for quite some time,” Masire said.
Masire said the country is well known for its dry conditions as well as minimal surface water supplies, adding that the Gaborone dam is also not able to meet the demands of water supply at the moment.
“The other strategic dams set to cope with boosting of water supply such as Dikgatlhong, Letsibogo and Ntimbale are also not coping with the pressure of water demand towards the areas they channel water supply to because there has been no sufficient rains for quite some time,” he said when briefing the media at the tour of NSC upgrading works.
However, WUC has cautioned that the current maintenance may affect supply to the Greater Gaborone areas, with some areas might experience lower water pressures to no water supply.
Project Manager from the contracting company CCC GRP Joint Venture, Omar Darabseh, said the project is currently progressing at high pace, saying he is upbeat that the phase 1 operation will be completed within scheduled period.
“We are working on targets on a daily basis and we have engaged specialists for various tasks to ensure high quality of the whole outcome. The NSC is a big project but we hoping to have it completed on time,” said Darabseh.