Residents of Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe, can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) announces the resumption of normal water supply after a challenging week of water shortages. The struggle came to an end following the completion of crucial interconnection works, which were necessitated by ongoing road upgrades in the city.
In a press statement released by the LWB, it was revealed that the interconnection works were essential to complement the ongoing road improvement projects, particularly on Kenyatta Drive, Sharrar Street, and Mzimba Street. These works involved the relocation of large transmission capacity pipelines, some up to 800 mm in diameter, that supply water to approximately 60% of the Board’s water supply area, specifically the Central and Northern parts of Lilongwe city.
The pipe relocation project encompassed the procurement and installation of new pipelines, totaling approximately nine kilometers and running parallel to the existing pipelines, mostly situated outside the service areas of the road works. The installation was completed by June 2023, with full access to the road provided to the contractors by August 2023.
Following the installation, the remaining critical task was the interconnection of the new pipelines to the existing water supply system. The completion of this phase marked a significant milestone, enabling LWB to fully restore water supply to its customers. Although the interconnection process triggered 48-hour water supply outages at each phase, the LWB assures its customers that water supply is expected to gradually improve in the coming days.
The board confirmed that the remedial works were finalized by midnight on 5 January 2024, and pumping to the water reservoirs resumed promptly. As a result, most affected areas, particularly the central and northern parts of the water supply area, witnessed the restoration of water supply services by the morning of 6 January 2024. The statement further assured that water supply to all affected areas would normalize as water levels build up in the distribution system throughout the day.
In light of the prolonged water supply challenges, the LWB extended its sincere apologies to its customers for the inconvenience caused and expressed gratitude for their patience and understanding during the period of interconnection works.
This development not only signifies a return to normalcy for the residents of Lilongwe but also underscores the critical link between infrastructure projects and essential services, highlighting the concerted efforts made to ensure minimal disruption to the daily lives of the city’s inhabitants.
