NWASCO implores water utilities quality compliance
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By Rose Tembo, NWASCO Public Relations Manager
Phone: 226941/0977-709463 Email:mails@nwasco.org.zm
LUSAKA- (February Tuesday 7th, 2017).The National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) says water quality compliance by water utilities is important due to the health impact it has on the consumers. NWASCO has since reminded all the 11 water utilities and the six private schemes to adhere to standards when treating water and ensure that consumers are provided with clean and safe water.
This comes in the wake of an inspection of Lukanga Water and Sewerage Company which revealed unacceptable on-site water quality tests for residual chlorine in Mumbwa, Kapiri Mposhi, Mkushi and Serenje as well as turbidity in Mkushi, contrary to the NWASCO Water Quality Monitoring Guidelines.
To regulate WSS services focussing on:
– Sustainable service delivery balancing commercial orientation and social consideration;
– Increased access to affordable safe water and acceptable sanitation; and
– Increased public awareness
Mkushi and Serenje Districts have continued to face challenges of high raw surface water turbidity levels especially with the onset of the rainy season. This is attributed to the fact that the districts have loose soils as a result of soil erosion forcing Lukanga Water and Sewerage Company to shut down operations whenever the turbidity is too high.
NWASCO has with immediate effect directed Lukanga Water and Sewerage Company to start complying with the free chlorine parameter in Mumbwa, Kapiri Mposhi, Mkushi and Serenje and provide actions to be taken to address turbidity in Mkushi by 28th February, 2017.
The Southern Water and Sewerage Company-SWASCO- has requested the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council -NWASCO-to revise the 2016 approved water
Compliance to all guidelines issued by NWASCO including the Water Quality Monitoring Guideline is a critical part of the license conditions that all water utilities must adhere to. The guideline requires that all water providers produce water that is free from any contaminants that may be injurious to the health of consumers. Therefore, providers are required to conduct pre-defined water quality tests which must comply with the Zambian Standards for Potable Water issued by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS).
The Water Supply and Sanitation Act No. 28 of 1997 states that a utility’s operating license can be suspended or cancelled in the event that a provider fails to meet the license conditions. Other penalties applicable under the same act are penalizing an individual (staff member of a provider) found to be responsible for a negligent act leading to the provision of unsafe water. This can be a fine, imprisonment or both.
NWASCO children
NWASCO implores water utilities quality compliance. Background
Water utilities carry out three types of tests namely Physio-chemical, Bacteriological tests and the Residual Chlorine test. The Residual Chlorine test seeks to determine the amount of free chlorine in the water supply system to take care of any contamination that may occur. Bacteriological tests detect any presence of coliforms (total and faecal) in the water which may cause diarrheal diseases, while physio-chemical tests concentrate on colour, pH and turbidity. Presence of heavy metal tests are also conducted especially in mineral rich areas.
Compliance to water quality standards takes into account the number of samples conducted and the percentage of results meeting the water quality standard set by ZABS. It is, therefore, important to note that a low compliance might either imply deficiency in the required number of tests and/or non-compliance to quality standards. NWASCO – www.nwasco.org.zm.
