Uganda’s National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has embarked on system testing on the new Katosi water treatment plant in Mukono, one of the districts in Central Region of Uganda.
Accrding to NWSC, the 240 million litres per day water treatment plant is at 95% completion.
The new plant is expected to serve over 7.5 million people in the Central Region of Uganda including Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono for about 20 years.
“system tests for the new plant have commenced,” NWSC Director Engineering Services, Eng Alex Gisagara confirmed.
Tests and final project works that are underway include;
- Testing and commissioning of different Plant electrical control units
- Raw water and treated water pumps all installed and connected to power grid
- Offshore pipeline (500 m) already laid on the lake bed (connection of the strainer currently ongoing)
- More than 8.0 km out of 9.5 km of the pumping main already laid and undergoing
- pressure testing
- Final finishes on the process and none-process buildings/structures
- Land scaping and greening of the Plant
READ: Uganda’s New Katosi water treatment plant in final stages
Eng Denis Taremwa, the Project Manager, said works are on course with the first drop of water expected to reach the new Nsumba water reservoirs by the end of April 2021.
The Deputy Managing Director Technical Services Eng Johnson Amayo said the utility is shifting from the conventional treatment of water by sedimentation to the use of Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) in order to deal with the problem of increasing algae on Lake Victoria.
DAFs are widely used in treating industrial wastewater effluents from oil refineries.
Upon completion, the Katosi water treatment plant will be the first and biggest plant in East and Central Africa using the AquaDAF and AquaZur technologies.
The state-of-the-art plant shall incorporate water recycling and sludge thickening to minimize plant losses and promote environmental conservation.
A 500-meter offshore abstraction pipeline is being laid into Lake Victoria.
A statement on the NWSC facebook page read: “We are laying a massive water intake 500 meters into the Lake Victoria at Katosi. This is part of ongoing works to add over 160million litres of water per day under the Katosi water supply project. The combined water production from Ggaba Water Works and Katosi water works will bridge the water supply gaps in the Kampala Water Metropolitan service area.”
The project scope also includes a Scada (supervisory control and data acquisition) system that will be integrated with the existing NWSC installations and a modern laboratory to enhance water quality monitoring and management.
A mechanical workshop and a compact wastewater treatment plant with solid waste handling and incineration facility.
The facility will also have a modern staff housing estate with modern amenities and recreation facilities.
Katosi water transmission network will entail water being pumped from the plant to the 40 million litres capacity – new Nsumba reservoirs through a 9.5 km bulk DN1400 mm pipeline. The water shall thereafter be supplied to through a 55km DN1400 mm bulk pipeline.