Board attributes erratic water supply in Blantyre to aged pipes, vandalism  

Residents of Blantyre City continue experiencing erratic water supply as Blantyre Water Board (BWB) struggles to meet the ever-growing demand due to aged, burst and vandalized pipes.

Blantyre Water Board’s Public Relations Manager, Priscilla Mateyu said in an interview  that the board is working on replacing old pipes as one way of minimizing the frequency of burst pipes within the system.

“As you may be aware, most roads in Blantyre are undergoing rehabilitation works, this is what is causing breakage of pipes leading to people staying longer periods without water supply,” said Mateyu.

The PRO also said the water board has improved its response time to such cases so as to avoid more wasted water. She added that BWB has also reduced the period customers have to stay with dry taps.

In addition to the burst pipes, Mateyu cited vandalism as one of big problems leading to increase in non-revenue water as well as erratic supply to customers.

She, therefore, said the board has stepped up efforts to tackle the malpractice by engaging communities to desist from vandalism.

“The board encourages the public to report any burst pipes within the distribution network to avoid losses,” Mateyu said.

However, Mateyu isolated the area around Soche, where the recently built water tank has greatly improved the water situation around the area, minimizing periods that customers had to live without the commodity.

“Currently, customers are happy and appreciative that they are able to have water supply throughout the week. Efforts are still underway to increase water production so as to accommodate even a wide base of customers and ensure uninterrupted water supply,” she added.

The water board’s spokesperson, therefore, assured customers of her institution’s efforts to ensure adequate water supply from its two sources of Mudi River and Walkers Ferry to cater for all its customers during the dry season.

She added that the Mulanje Water Supply Project is at an advanced stage, saying upon completion, production would increase and lead to an efficient and effective water supply to customers.

Presently, BWB has a customer base of 50,000 accounts, providing water to about 1.3 million people within Blantyre and surrounding areas. The current production stands at 96,000 cubic metres.

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