F I E L D S T U D Y

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1. LUSAKA WATER AND SEWERAGE COMPANY

LIMITED

Lusaka is the capital city of Zambia. It has an estimated population of two million
people. The population growth in the city is about 6 %, which is double the national
growth rate of 3 %.

It is estimated that about 60 to 70 % of the population in Lusaka live in informal

settlements or peri-urban areas.

The city covers an area of approximately 360 square kilometres. The Lusaka Water and
Sewerage Company Ltd undertake the provision of water supply and sewerage services.

The Company was registered

under the Companies Act in 1988
and is wholly owned by the
Lusaka City Council.

The city derives its water supply

from both surface (Kafue River)
and groundwater (boreholes)
sources.

The current production rate

3
averages 200 000 m /day with
each source accounting for about
50 % of the supply.

The estimated water demand for

the city is 290 000 m3/day
(Harza feasibility report). LWSC head office

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2. THE GEORGE COMPLEX WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

The George Complex Water Supply Scheme

(GCWSS) is located on the western side of
Lusaka. It consists of seven densely populated
compounds namely, George, Soweto, Kizito,
Desai, Chikolokoso, Lilanda site 5 and
Paradise. The complex is built over an area of
approximately 4 800 square kilometres with a
population of about 120 000.

Most of these compounds were developed

spontaneously as squatter settlements in the
1960s, with some legalised and upgraded in the
1970s. Some of the compounds, however, were
a result of regular planning by local authorities.

Like most of the peri-urban areas, the George

Complex is characterised by high population
Installed communal water points density conditions, with most of the population
in the low-income group.
Previously, water supply to the community was mainly through communal facilities and
a few house connections. These facilities were limited in capacity and poorly maintained
due to lack of finance. The facilities were also extensively vandalised, resulting in the
breakdown of water supply
facilities.

With the rapid growth rate

of these compounds, the
capacity of the facilities
became inadequate and,
therefore, the supply of
water was erratic.

Consequently, members of
the community resorted to
alternative sources of water,
which were not safe. Some residents still draw water from shallow wells

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At the time, the alternative source of water was from shallow dugout wells, usually dug
in the backyard of a particular household.

Shallow well water, though perceived as being cheaper, convenient and safe by the
community, has been found to be contaminated. This contamination can be attributed to
the fact that the main sewer disposal method in the area is through the use of pit
latrines. These latrines are usually constructed in backyards and, in most cases, just
adjacent to the shallow dugout wells, thereby rendering the shallow well water unsafe
for domestic use. Continued use of this contaminated water by the community of George
resulted in persistent outbreaks of cholera, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases.

As a result of the persistent

cholera outbreaks, especially in
the 1991-1992 wet season, the
Zambian Government requested
Grant Aid from the Japanese
Government for the imple-
mentation of a water supply
project, aiming at the alleviation of
the incidence of waterborne
diseases.

Some of the facilities provided at the GCWSS As a response to the request from
the Zambian Government, a Basic
Design Study was conducted in September 1993, the conclusion of which formed the
basis of the Project. The conclusions were as follows:
 An amount of 35 litres of water per person per day shall be supplied through
communal taps.
 The Water source shall be groundwater from boreholes.
 Water rates shall be charged to the user community, and collected rates shall be
utilised for the sustainable operation and maintenance of the water supply
system.

Due to the large expanse of the targeted area, it was divided into eight areas, each of
which was to have an independent water supply system. Each water supply system
would consist of the following:
 A borehole as the water source
 Transmission pipe from the borehole to the elevated water tank
 Water treatment facilities (chlorinators)

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 Elevated water storage tank with a capacity of 300 m3

 Distribution pipeline from the elevated water tank to the various supply points
 Public faucets and laundry facilities

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The implementation of the Project was subdivided into four phases:

 Phase I - covering Area 1, which consists of areas that had the highest
incidents of cholera
 Phase II - covering Areas 2, 3 and 4
 Phase III - covering Areas 5 and 6
 Phase IV - covering Areas 7 and 8

The Exchange of Notes between the Zambian Government and the Japanese
Government for the implementation of the Project was signed on 20 April 1994.

Table 1: George Town Complex water supply system statistics

ITEM QUANTITY DETAILS

Boreholes 8 (50-70 m3/hr)

Elevated tanks 8 (300 m3)
Subdivisions 8 (with 2 chlorinators)
Public faucets 375
Laundry facilities 375

Currently, all the phases of the project have been completed and the water supply
systems have been in operation since July 1995.

It is estimated that approximately 120 000 people now have access to an adequate,
stable and safe supply of potable water.

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3. IOLANDA WATER TREATMENT PLANT, KAFUE,

ZAMBIA.

One of the sources of water for the city of Lusaka

is the Kafue River, located approximately
65 kilometres south of Lusaka.

The water treatment works were constructed in

the early 1970s. They comprise an intake water
treatment plant, high lift pumping station and a
rising main to Lusaka, terminating at the Chilanga
booster pumping station.

River intake works

From Chilanga the water is pumped to

Lusaka via another rising main.

These water facilities were constructed

to supply 110 000 m3/day. Water treatment plant

3.1 Intake and raw water mains

The intake consists of a tower, constructed offshore and connected by a bridge to the
riverbank. The tower has four inlet ports located at two separate levels. The inlets are
equipped with bar screens. The river water from the inlet ports is directed to the ends of
the intake tower through travelling screens to the pump wet wells.

A header joins the pump discharges and raw water flows from the intake tower through
two pipelines (675 mm diameter steel pipes) across the bridge to the shore and to the
treatment plant.

Four wet well pumps are installed at the intake, with three pumps on duty (capacity
126 000 m3/day) and one on standby.

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3.2 Water treatment plant

The water treatment plant is designed to produce approximately 110 000 m3/day of
treated water.

The plant is supplied with raw water from the river via two 675 mm diameter steel
pipelines from the intake structure. The pipelines are interconnected at the intake/pump
structure, but individually feed each of the two flash mix tanks at the treatment plant.
The water treatment plant uses a conventional treatment process of flash mixing of alum
as a coagulant chemical. Two flash mix tanks (27.6 m3/tank) with a hydraulic detention
time of 43 seconds at 110 000m3/day with inlet baffle plates and an inlet weir are
employed.

Thirty sedimentation basins (blanket type) for flocculation of the up-flow sludge are
used. Each unit has a volume of 216 m3 and a surface area of 76 m2. The design up-flow
rate is 1.8 m3/m2/hr at 110 000 m3/day.

Twenty single media rapid sand filters operating at a filtration rate of 4.85 m3/m2/hr with
gravel support layer and perforated lateral under drain system are used. Each filter has
a surface area of 47.25 m2. The filters are cleaned by backwashing.
A four pas chlorine contact tank with a volume of 181 m3 is used. It also serves as a
reservoir for backwash water.
Two balancing reservoirs with a total capacity of 4 500 m3 serve as supply for the high
lift pumps and as a plant area water supply source.
A single ton cylinder chlorine system with a dual chlorinator (manually adjustable to
meet plant flow rates and desired chlorine residuals at the balancing reservoirs) is used.
A lime feed system for post-treatment pH control is also used.

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Iolanda water works (Kafue): process flow chart

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3.3 Pumping and rising main

Four high lift pumps, each with a capacity
of 1 500 m3/hour at a total head of 242 m,
are used at both Kafue and Chilanga
Booster Pump Stations. In normal
operation, three pumps are on duty and
one is on standby. The rising main extends
from the booster pumping station at the
Iolanda Water Treatment Plant (WTP) site
to the Stuart Park Reservoirs in Lusaka, a
total of approximately 50 kilometres.
Iolanda water works, Kafue, Zambia

The rising main is in two sections. The first

section extends from Iolanda WTP to a
receiving balancing reservoir located south of
Chilanga. A booster station at the Chilanga
site boosts the flow into the second section of
the rising main to the Stuart Park Reservoirs
in Lusaka.

Rapid gravity sand filters

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