LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) is said to be losing MK2.2 billion through the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) challenge with a 36.4% rate as of September 2024.
This is a slight improvement from 40% in 2019 before the board and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ventured into the Project for Strengthening Capacity of Non-Revenue Water Reduction for Lilongwe Water Board (LiSCap).
The project which is coming to an end in December 2024, aimed at enhancing capacity for NRW reduction management for LWB and ultimately reducing NRW while improving the efficiency of water-use in the city
Addressing journalists during the sidelines of joint knowledge sharing of the project, the LWB board member Innocent Mphote said that the initiative has reduced water loses.
Mphote therefore is optimistic to bring down the loss further to around 25 percent.
Mphote cited leakage due to old pipes and vandalism as some of the factors behind non revenue water loss.
“You may wish to know that before the implementation of this project, we are losing about 40% of the water that we have produced at long water boat. But with this project, we have managed to reduce downwards to around 36% now, and in terms of monetary value, it means we are losing about MK2.2 billion monthlydue to this non revenue water.
“The main cause of this non revenue water is leakage due to hot pipes. As you might know, most of the pipes installed were installed a long time ago, and there’s a need to replace all of them. Unfortunately, it is very expensive to replace all the pipes. But apart from the leakage due to all the age of the pipes, there’s also the challenge of vandalism. People are putting in, maybe bypassing meters, and therefore that water goes without, charging for that”.
He therefore lauded the project, “The initiative has managed to capacitate our workers on how we can reduce the revenue water, but also we have also increased awareness to customers about the danger of vandalizing properties of Lilongwe water board, and also we have also engaged in my police service to help us in prosecuting all those who are involved in vandalism.
“Our target is around 25% which is normally the acceptable standards worldwide. And therefore, this project has helped us but will not stop there. We are also planning to come up with another project that will assist us also to reduce risk and revenue, water”.
In his remarks, JICA Chief representative Kazuhiro Tambara said the project has made improvement, including the techniques for the non leveling water reduction.
Echoeing the same, Deputy Director for water supply services in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation Fedelia Ng’oma lauded JICA for skills development in workers.
She said, “The skills that have been promoted will be utilized, considering that losing water that has been processed entails to loss of finances, because that one that water would have been built to someone which he in the end, the water utilities will not get anything.
“So these skills, although they are going to the longer water board, as a ministry, we have been part and parcel of the process. It’s the skills will be transferred also to other utilities that are also providing water, water supply services within the country”.
