EWSC needs US$ 25 million to overhaul system-MD

Eastern Water and Sewerage Company (EWSC) has said it needs about US$ 25 million to overhaul its entire system in Chipata district in order to improve service delivery.

EWSC Managing Director Wamuwi Changani explained the current infrastructure and equipment has been over stretched as it was designed to service a capacity of 50,000 people.

Mr. Changani told ZANIS in an interview in Chipata today, that the population has since grown by more than 300 percent hence making it difficult for the company to fully provide a good service to its customers.

He said it is for this reason that his company has made various proposals to cooperating partners and the government to help in funding the institution so that it can improve on its system as a way of enhancing service delivery.

Mr. Changani added that in Nyimba, Katete, Chama,Lundazi and Chadiza districts the company has already started drilling boreholes and dams to help  mitigate the water challenges.

He noted that the Germany government has also come on board and has so far released over 19 million Euros for the water improvement project which is still at implementation stage.  

Meanwhile, EWSC has dropped two positions on the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWSCO) commercial utilities performance ranking for urban and peri-urban water supply and sanitation report of 2013.   

Mr. Changani noted that the utility company sliped two steps backwards from the position it was ranked in 2012.

He noted that the company needed to improve its hours of supply in some parts of Chipata and Katete districts.

He added that there is also need to improve sanitation coverage in the province.

He further disclosed that his company has already started working on the challenges highlighted to improve the regulator.