FINAL TESTS ON NEW WATER SYSTEM DUE IN SEPTEMBER

The final testing of the new water supply system for the cities of Maputo and Matola is due to begin in September, according to a note from the Mozambican government’s Water Supply Investment and Assets Fund (FIPAG).Work on the project is now in its final phase, and over the coming weekend at the new water treatment station on the Umbeluzi River, in Boane district, new electrical equipment and pumps will be connected to improve the provision of water to Maputo, Matola and Boane.The note explained that the water pipelines will be cut to permit the linking of the pipes to the new distribution centres and the replacement of two sections of obsolete pipework.As a result, there will be severe restrictions on the supply of water to Maputo and Matola between Friday and Sunday.The project includes the expansion of the water treatment station at Umbeluzi, the construction of new pipelines from Umbeluzi to Matola along with improvements to the existing pipework, and the construction of new distribution centres at Tsalala, Boane, Katembe, Belo Horizonte and Matola Rio.It also consists of the expansion of about 580 kilometres of the distribution network as well as the strengthening and replacement of the network in the district of Ka Mubukwana, in Maputo.The increase in water supply works also aim to meet the needs of industrial and commercial development in the Maputo metropolitan area.The entire project, budgeted at 95 million euros (about 136 million US dollars), will increase the production and transport of treated water from the Umbeluzi River, reduce water losses, and rehabilitate and expand the water distribution network.By the end of this year, the percentage of people living in Maputo, Matola and Boane with access to safe drinking water should rise from the current 40 per cent to 73 per cent. In absolute terms, that means that the number of people with access to clean water will rise from 670,000 to 1.5 million.Consumers will also enjoy water supply 24 hours a day, rather than the current 12 hours. Before the start of the project, half of all the treated water distributed in Maputo, Matola and Boane was lost in leaks. FIPAG hopes that the project will reduce the level of losses to 25 per cent.Of the 95 million euros invested in the project, 13.8 per cent comes from the Mozambican state budget. The rest is provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union, the French Development Agency, and the Dutch government.