The government through the National Water and Sewerage Cooperation (NWSC) has pledged to end the problem of water crisis in areas of Kampala Mukono and Wakiso district by the end of this year
According to the government, these areas are expected to receive reliable water supply from the ongoing established new water plant dubbed; the Katosi Water Treatment Plant upon its completion in mid this year
The plant which is nearing completion with 95% of its works being done over with is expected to produce 240m liters per day upon completion
This will serve over 7.5m people in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono up to 2040 as these pumps were designed to lift 240million liters of water per day from the 160m that were used under phase 1
Water challenges have been a main issue in these areas that incumbent Member of Parliament and State Minster for Water Ronald Kibuule lost his sit in Mukono during the recently concluded elections
The milestone however was revealed yesterday during a remarkable visit by the officials from the NWSC led by their Managing Director (ED) Eng. Silver Mugisha who was there to witness the testing of various water treatments of the new Water Plant
Upon his visit Mugisha noted that the plant was to divert and treat the dry flow from the heavily polluted Nakivubo channel before releasing water into Lake Victoria and subsequently improve the quality of water
After testing the plant, the reservoirs at Nsumba, Ssonde were to also be tested and subsequently pressure tests for the new 51kms Katosi-Kampala bulk transmission main, he said
Adding that the critical path that included laying of the 1.4mm diameter water intake of 500m into the lake had been completed and only 500km remaining of the pipeline that was delivered from the 1.5 that had remained
Upon completion of the system tests, the new system will be charged and then released to serve the population as soon as possible
Eng. Denis Taremwa, the Project Manager also noted that the work were moving in the right direction and water is expected to reach the new Nsumba water reservoirs by the end of April
“Some of the completions going on at the Katosi Water Treatment Plant are a compact wastewater treatment plant modern staff housing estate with modern amenities and recreation facilities and a mechanical workshop,” he said
The Deputy Managing Director Technical Services Eng. Johnson Amayo also present noted that the utility had adopted new technologies of treating water through the use of dissolved air floatation and not the traditional ways of sedimentation
This was to help control on the challenge of increasing algae on L. Victoria
Katosi Water Treatment Plant also accommodates a modern water laboratory to enhance water quality monitoring and management
A Scada system that will be integrated with the existing the NWSC installation
And the project will see the treatment of water from the lake at different points before it reaches the final consumer.
Among the ongoing activities included; the testing and commissioning of different plant Electrical Control Units, raw water and treated water pumps all installed and connected to the power, offshore pipeline (1Km) already laid of the 1.5km, pressure testing of the pumping main with more than 8.0Km of the 9.5Km already laid among others
The plant is largest treatment plant in east and central Africa treating over 45M liters of waste water per day, generate over 631Kw of biogas electricity, uses nuisance free technology, bio filters and without smell
