By Spy Uganda
The Government of Uganda through the National Water and Sewerage Corporation ( NWSC) is putting final touches on a new water treatment plant in Katosi, Mukono district which will help to solve issues of water shortage in areas of Mukono, Kampala and Wakiso.
Works on the 240million litres per day water production plant are near completion with 95% of project works completed. The new plant will serve over 7.5million people in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono up to 2040.
According to NWSC Director Engineering Services, Eng Alex Gisagara, system tests for the new plant have commenced.
“The following tests and final project works are ongoing;
•Testing and commisioning of different Plant electrical control units.
• Raw water and treated water pumps all installed and connected to power grid
• Offshore pipeline (500m) already laid on the lake bed (connection of the strainer currently ongoing)
• More than 8.0km out of 9.5km of the pumping main already laid and undergoing pressure testing.
• Final finishes on the process and none-process buildings/structures are ongoing
•Land scaping and greening of the Plant currently ongoing” he shared
Eng Denis Taremwa, the Project Manager, said that works are on course with the first drop of water expected to reach the new Nsumba water reservoirs by the end of April 2021.
According to the Deputy Managing Director Technical Services Eng Johnson Amayo, the utility is moving away from the traditional treatment of water by sedimentation to the use of dissolved air floatation, in order to deal with the problem of increasing algae on Lake Victoria.
“Upon completion, the Katosi plant will be the first and biggest plant in East and Central Africa using the AquaDAF and AquaZur technologies” he said
The state of the art plant shall incorporate water recycling and sludge thickening to minimise plant losses and promote environmental conservation.
