• LWSC has moved from one milestone to another to improve water supply.

THE noble function of supplying water and sanitation services to Lusaka town was managed by then Lusaka Municipal Council under the Engineering department until 1988 when Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) took over the reins.
After Independence in 1964, the first Republican Government of Zambia embarked on an adventurous water infrastructure expansion crusade not only for Lusaka town but for all the towns in the country through the management of the local authorities.
The independent Zambian Government then provided the policy and legal framework within which the councils would manage water supply and sanitation services to the citizens by reviewing and enacting the Local Government Act.
However, over the years, many councils including Lusaka City Council started experiencing challenges with managing water supply and sanitation services to the people. This is due to the fact that some of the infrastructure inherited became dilapidated. Besides, the population also increased thereby putting so much stress on the dilapidated and inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure.
So after two decades after Independence, with financial support from the Government of Japan, Government of the Republic of Zambia rehabilitated and expanded the Iolanda Water Treatment plant in Kafue district to meet the increasing demand for water.
Additionally, the Government began the water sector reforms which led to the formulation the water sector policy and the legal frame work to guide the formation water utilities in the country.
Thereafter, LWSC was incorporated as a water utility in 1988 under the Companies Act and the National Water Supply and Sanitation Act.
This meant that the responsibility of supplying water and sanitation services to Lusaka City was delinked from the Lusaka City Council and assigned to the new water company. However, the full operations started in 1990.
However, at inception as a water utility, LWSC faced some challenges such as:
Old and inadequately maintained water and sewer infrastructure
Inadequate service coverage (less 60 per cent for water and 12 per cent for sanitation
Low metering ratio
Low collection efficiency
High non-revenue water (more than 65 per cent)
Low hours of supply
In view of the above challenges, the company embarked on some ambitious service improvement programmes.
One such successive programme is the metering project. At the formation stage, the metering levels were so low that many customers were billed on fixed charge. Consequently, the company started metering all the customers.
In fact, LWSC has moved from the conventional brass meters to the pre-paid meters by 2012. In fact, Kafue, Chongwe and Luangwa are at 100% pre-paid metered.
According to the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Report 2012/13 by National Water Supply and Sanitation Council, LWSC has improved remarkably in the following areas:
Water quality
Metering ratio
Collection efficiency
Additionally, the United Nations Development Programme Millenniunm Development Goals (MDGs) Lusaka Province 2013 Report states that the province has surpassed its MDG target of improving access to an improved water source to above 25.5 per cent to 10 per cent.
Apparently, LWSC has contributed massively to the achievement of the MDG No.7 for Lusaka Province.
Initially, the customer base was very small and customer service levels were way below the average standards. Presently, LWSC has increased its customer base to well over 80,000 water connections and there is room for improvement. Moreover, customer service has improved greatly as can be attested to by the following:
•Establishment of 15 customer service centres
•Have more than 27 pay points
Installed customer business messaging system
•Embarked on ambitious corporate branding
•Introduce electronic payment methods
Some of the e-payment methods are Zanaco XAPIT, Direct Debit and Credit Clearing, Airtel Money, Stanchart Mobile, MTN Mobile Money and Visa. Thus, customers have numerous ways of paying for water bills within the comfort of their offices and homes. Now customers do not need to spend long hours on queues.
Worthy note is the fact that LWSC initially had a mandate to provide water supply and sanitation services to Lusaka district only. Nonetheless, in 2008 LWSC scope of responsibility was increased to include Kafue, Chongwe, Luangwa and Chirundu, that is, the entire Lusaka province.
Order to meet and exceed the increasing demand for water and sanitation by the growing population, LWSC has started implementing exciting sanitation projects.
In 2012, the Government of Zambia signed for a grant of US$355 million from the American government for LWSC and Lusaka City Council to improve water supply, sanitation and drainage system in Lusaka town. This project is being managed by Millennium Challenge Account – Zambia with finances coming from Millennium Challenge Corporation. The project has now reached implementation stage.
This is a project that will improve the water and sewer systems in most parts of Lusaka.
Furthermore, LWSC has embarked on various projects in Lusaka province such as the Maiteneke sanitation project in Matero which was commissioned in February 2014.
Additionally, with financial support from the Government of the Republic of Zambia and Water and Sanitation Programme under the World Bank, in 2011 LWSC began an amazing sanitation programme in Kalingalinga compound – the first of its kind in Zambia.
The project involves the laying of sewer network in the township using the condominial system.
Presently, the first stage of the project has been commissioned and is expected to benefit more than 3,000 people and 242 plots. So far, some customers have started connecting their properties to the network. The second phase will take off soon this year.
Besides, LWSC completed the construction of new water treatment plants in Luangwa and Chongwe districts.
Moreover, the water utility completed the rehabilitation of the Kaseba Water Treatment plant in Kafue which has resulted in increased hours of water supply to almost 24 hours daily in some areas of the district.
Other projects include the installation of new pre-paid water connections in Libala South, Kamwala South, Hillview Chalala, Kaunda Square Stage One and various commercial boreholes to improve water supply in Woodlands, Nyumba Yanga, Kabanana, Ngombe, Chainda and many other areas within Lusaka Province.
Currently, LWSC is rehabilitating the water and sewer networks in Malata area in Kabulonga which was experiencing erratic water supply and sewer blockages. This project will benefit over 1000 people with 200 properties connected to both the water and sewer systems.
With five decades now after Independence, LWSC has and will steadily move from one milestone to another in an effort to improve water supply and sanitation services in Lusaka Province.
As a statement of business intent, LWSC is committed to fulfilling its mandate of providing water and sanitation services to people of Lusaka province and will continue exploring other electronic, technological and business innovations in order to serve its esteemed customers.—LWSC