Via LWSC's abstraction points on the Kafue River:

The MCA Z LWSSDP enhancement of the existing abstraction, treatment and transmission main (part of the $354m MCC investment), the abstraction tower at Kafue (‘blue’ hoarding) in the picture below, (CapManEx to reinstate the 120mld, from memory) as well as the Chinese funded $150m Kafue Bulk Water project (50mld with allowance for future expansion) abstraction tower (‘green’ hoarding) to deliver an additional 50mld to Lusaka – through a new rising main …

The Water Supply and Demand graph, prepared for an LWSC Training of Trainers Programme, giving a sense of the challenge facing Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company . This as the city population grows rapidly whilst the demand for water from other consumers continues to grow – from the sugar plantations and coffee plantations around Mazabuka ….

A rough estimate of the costs of increasing water supply, based on the current round of projects, is around ZMW 4bn/ $400m for each additional 100,000m3/day, serving 500,000 people, including distribution and connections.

Noting that when Kafue abstraction capacity limit is reached (both for agriculture and the city) the solution for such a rapidly growing population has to be Lake Kariba?

With Laker Kariba being an additional 70km (‘as the crow flies’) distant, over and above the Kafue – Lusaka distance of around 50km plus a frightening additional elevation difference of around 500m, over and above the existing 300m elevation difference for Kafue. Estimating the resulting cost of water would necessarily double ..

Mazabuka coffee plantation

Whilst the India MkII handpump continues to serve the countryside, en route to Livingstone.

And then to yet more sanitation related infrastructure … and a fantastic (!) way to see the waste stabilisation ponds at Livingstone … An impressive earlier generation investment ….

perhaps a clean out, that is some Capital Maintenance, is needed? Much as MCA Z has delivered to Lusaka? But who to finance and who to pay?