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GOVT INVESTS E800M IN MATSAPHA-MANZINI WATER SUPPLY

By Sabelo Majola | 2019-02-27

GOVERNMENT has invested about E800 million to mitigate the high demand of water along the Matsapha-Manzini corridor and surrounding areas.

The Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC) is utilising the funding in upgrading the Matsapha Water Treatment Plant to increase capacity to meet future demand this coming financial year.

This was revealed by the Corporation Managing Director Jabulile Mashwama during a press briefing at the EWSC headquarters in Ezulwini yesterday.

She said the upgrade would tie with the larger recently approved Manzini integrated water and sanitation project which will ensure that water is supplied to additional areas under Mafutseni, Nhlambeni, Manzini South and Mtfongwaneni constituencies.

This is one of the four phased approaches aimed at ending the high demand water supply along the country’s economic activity hub which has been a thorn in the flesh for both the business industry and the residents.

“In response to the growing demand for water supply and services in and around the Matsapha-Manzini corridor, the EWSC is implementing short to long term interventions that aim to resolve the constraints experienced by these areas. Implementation of the plan will ensure that the Corporation is able to meet the demand and address the customer complaints which have been shared with the Corporation. The Corporation has done a comprehensive analysis of the constraints and subsequently developed a four-phased approach to put the matter to bed once and for all,” she said.

Mashwama said implementing the short to medium term works would require planned water supply interruptions and the usual 48 hour notice will be given to customers before the scheduled shutdown. She said the planned shutdown schedule for the month of March is on the 9th and 23rd.

“The Corporation will endeavour to minimise the impact of water supply interruption and where required will provide alternative water supply through stationery tanks in strategic places,” she added.

The four phased water approach:

To address the immediate water supply challenges in Tubungu, Police Academy, Emhlane and surrounding areas, the Corporation will integrate its network systems to ensure that the drop in reservoir levels does not affect supply to these areas. This mitigation measure will be implemented in the late evening on Saturday March 3, 2019.
To address water supply challenges in Nhlambeni, Masundvwini, Sigombeni and Mobeni, the Corporation is already implementing a mid-term to permanent solution by increasing storage capacity. The placement of a 3 mega litre reservoir at Emathangeni in Matsapha will be completed by the end of May, 2019. This tank will be a dedicated alternate supply point for the Corporation’s residential customers in cases where industrial water supply demand is at its peak.
To improve water supply at Kwaluseni, Mfabantfu and surrounding areas the Corporation will increase supply capacity by upgrading the pumping system to the Logoba reservoir. This project will be completed by end of April, 2019

To improve the general quality of services and growing demand for water in the Matsapha, Manzini corridor and surrounding areas, the Corporation is upgrading the Matsapha Water Treatment Plant to increase capacity to meet future demand this coming financial year.

This upgrade project will tie with the larger recently approved Manzini Integrated Water and Sanitation project which will ensure that water is supplied to additional areas under Mafutseni, Nhlambeni, Manzini South and Mtfongwaneni constituencies.

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