An industrial borehole in George, Lusaka Zambia has been commissioned by the Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC).
Ezekiel Sekele, Zambian Breweries’ Corporate Affairs Manager who commissioned the water supply facility said that the project is part of Zambian Breweries’ strategy to combat cholera and the Covid-19 pandemic in the East African country.
“Our goal is to see communities in low-income Zambian areas like George have better access to safe, quality water by 2025. We have already completed several community water projects in Zambia, including Itawa, Bauleni, etc. We have already completed several community water projects in Zambia, including Itawa, Bauleni, etc.,” said Ezekiel Sekele.
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Water shortage
In Lusaka province, the level of the Chongwe Dam has dropped drastically, causing a shortage of water for the region’s water treatment plant. The project was financed by Zambian Breweries (ZB), under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) at a cost of US $150,000. The subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), which specializes in bottling soft drinks, made the funds available through the PPP agreement.
The drinking water supply facility has a capacity of 20 litres per second. The water pumped from the water table will be supplied to the population via 3.4km of pipes. It is expected to serve a total of 40,000 households and businesses mainly in George, Chunga, Matero and the surrounding areas.
Zambia is facing severe water and electricity shortages after a lengthy drought, with reservoir levels remaining worryingly low despite recent rains. Water levels in Lake Kariba, the world’s largest artificial lake at more than 5,500 sq km, have dropped by six metres in the past three years.
In early March, available water for hydroelectric production at the Kariba dam, which spans the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, was about 11.5%, a slight recovery on the record low in January.