Lusaka shops for $1.28 billion to bridge water, sanitation gap by 2035

The Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) requires an estimated US$1.28 billion investment to close the water and sanitation supply gap in the capital city by 2035.

Currently, Lusaka’s daily demand for water stands at 480,000 cubic meters, against a production capacity of only 250,000 cubic meters.

This was disclosed by Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation Principal Public Relations Officer, Prince Chinyuni, in a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday.

Chinyuni stated that government remained committed to bridging this gap by partnering with stakeholders and supporting LWSC in implementing long-term solutions.

“Government, through the Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company, has embarked on major water supply projects aimed at expanding household access to safe and clean water across Lusaka Province,” Chinyuni said.

He highlighted key interventions including the drilling of 44 boreholes across the capital, construction of new elevated tanks in Garden Park and Makeni Villa, and provision of more than 3,400 household connections.

Additionally, community projects under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in Bauleni, Kabanana, and Chinika are expanding access to clean water through the installation of main water lines and kiosks, reports say.

“Every drilled borehole and new connection draws water closer to families and eases the daily burden of accessing this vital resource,” Chinyuni added.

Other projects include the Bauleni Phase II Project funded by the African Development Bank, a 4.5 km water network in Libala South, rehabilitation of the Airport Road transmission line, and network upgrades in Feira, Luangwa District.

Chinyuni emphasized that the vision was for every household in Lusaka to have reliable access to safe water by 2035.

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