Phase 3 Construction: Design Underway:
This project of the MAWLR recommenced with funding from the African Development Bank under the Namibia Water Sector Support Program in late 2021 when LCE was appointed to commence with the design of Phase 3. A Preliminary Design Report was submitted in September 2022, which described and costed some N$ 188 million of infrastructure interventions. Following receipt of planning data from the MAWLR at the end of 2022, the detailed design commenced in 2023 and is well underway, awaiting completion of the environment and social investigations. The first part of Phase 3 is envisaged to comprise a new intake structure in the Kwando River, raw water pump station, ~2 km raw water pipeline, a 80 m³/h water treatment plant, a 1,150 m³ clear water reservoir, a base pump station, some 40 km of pipelines with various elevated reservoirs and off-take water meter installations.
Phase 2 Construction (2014 – 2017):
Construction Value: N$ 43 million
Phase 2 of the Project consisted of the replacement of the existing pipeline which runs alongside the B8 tar road from Kongola north eastwards towards Katima Mulilo. Under the previous configuration, water was drawn from the Kwando River and, untreated in any way, delivered into the old pipeline. Phase 2 entailed the construction of an approximately 51.3 km bulk pipeline from the Kwando River at Kongola to Makanga, the construction of approximately 24.3 km of branch pipelines to Lubuta/Sachona, Masida and Makanga, the installation of a package-type treatment plant with a capacity of 2 x 20 m3/h, the construction of a 400 m3 clean water ground level reservoir, a booster pump station, 30 elevated reservoirs and the associated manifolds with private connection points and the construction of the mechanical and electrical works required for the upgrading of the pump station/abstraction facility at the existing pump station on the bank of the Kwando River. Manifold systems were installed near the elevated reservoirs to provide private consumers within a specific geographical area/range access to individual water meters and the option of extending their water supply system to their private homes. A manifold installation consists of one to six water meter installations. A total of 363 manifold installations with a total of 1,837 water meters (1,834 for private customers and 3 for small government institutions) were installed. The existing raw water pump station and abstraction facility on the banks of the Kwando River near Kongola will be utilised as an interim solution for Phase 2. LCE carried out the detailed design, preparation of tender documentation, tender administration and adjudication, the project management, contract administration as well as construction supervision and quality control.
Phase 1 Construction: 2011 – 2013
Construction Value: N$ 32 million
Phase 1 of the Katima Mulilo – Kongola Water Supply Project entailed the construction of approximately 65 km of bulk pipeline from the Katima Mulilo treatment plant to Sibbinda, the construction of 28 elevated reservoirs and the associated manifolds with private connection points between Liselo and Sibbinda and the construction of the mechanical and electrical works required for the upgrading of the pump station at the Katima Mulilo treatment plant. Manifold systems were installed near the elevated reservoirs to provide private consumers within a specific geographical area/range access to individual water meters and the option of extending their water supply system to their private homes. A manifold installation consists of six water meter installations. A total of 324 manifold installations with a total of 1,800 water meters were installed. LCE carried out the detailed design, preparation of tender documentation, tender administration and adjudication, the project management, contract administration as well as construction supervision and quality control.
The nature of the Project required the inclusion of Demographic Planning Services during the design phase. Information meetings with the Regional Governor, the Regional Council and the Traditional Authorities were held to present the field approach and the programme to the Leaders and to request their support during the design phase. Following the meetings with the Leadership, village-based meetings were held to register interested users for private off-takes (incl. registration of the no. of people, coordinates, etc.). During the construction phase, the LCE’s team also included a Social Consultant who provided Construction Facilitation Services for the final confirmation of registrations and supplementary registrations for the private off-takes. The hand-over of the individual off-takes and the signing of the NamWater contracts with private users and institutions was also covered under these services.
Feasibility Study: 2009 – 2010
Undertaken for the MAWF, this project entailed a physical assessment of the water supply infrastructure (mostly single borehole installations) between Katima Mulilo and Kongola in the Zambezi (Caprivi) Region and the preparation of proposals and cost estimates for an upgraded water supply infrastructure to this area. These proposals determined which of: Upgraded boreholes to tap the currently used shallow aquifer, new boreholes to tap the deep aquifer recently discovered, or the combination of a supply of piped water from Katima Mulilo (from the Zambezi River) and from the Kwando River near Kongola, was the most economically feasible water supply option for the project area. The project also included consultation meetings regarding the project with stakeholders in Katima Mulilo. Analyses of the various supply options, cost comparisons and a risk assessment between the two main supply alternatives identified were also performed. All activities were completed and a presentation of the project activities and findings was delivered to the MAWF.
Location: Zambezi (Caprivi) Region
