Eastern Water and Sanitation Company (EWSC) is currently owed more than K 13 million in water bills by its client in Chipata district.
EWSC Chipata District Manager, Collins Kayeye says the water utility company is owed about K13,627,688.58 in bills by its clients.
Speaking when giving a report during the Senior District Management Meeting in Chipata chaired by District Commissioner Elidah Banda, Mr Kayeye said EWSC is owed Four Million, One Hundred and twelve thousand, three Hundred and fifty-two Kwacha, Fifty-Nine Ngwee (K4,112,352.59) in domestic water bills.
He said in non-domesticated water bills, Eastern Water is owed a total of One Million, two Hundred and Ninety-two thousand, two hundred and forty-four Kwacha, forty-four Ngwee(K1,292,244.44) while more than K800,000 is captured as kiosk bills.
Mr Kayeye said the water utility company which currently has a production capacity of 10,506 cubic milliliters per day is having a demand capacity of 21,224 cubic milliliters of water per day thereby making a commodity deficit of 10,719 cubic milliliters per day.
“The water demand in the city is higher than the production capacity. We plan to increase the production capacity and we also plan to rehabilitate the water network under the KfW project, “he said.
Mr Kayeye disclosed that the water utility company has achieved 54 percent of sanitation out of the targeted 85 percent due to various challenges.
He said the main reason for the outcome is that the larger population in the district is using unlined pit latrines that contaminate the groundwater leading to poor sanitation levels.
Mr Kayeye said EWSC has managed to repair 378 leakages in Chipata district out of the targeted 402.
He said the high number of leakages experienced in the district were as a result of the dilapidated infrastructure.
Mr Kayeye said the Government through Eastern Water plans to drill 36 commercial boreholes in Eastern Province at the total cost of Sixteen Million, two hundred thousand Kwacha (K 16,200,000).
He said the Government has also funded the rehabilitation of the dilapidated sewer network in Kapata township at the cost of K250,000.
Mr Kayeye said the Government also plans to fund water network improvement in Magazine, Chimwemwe and Mchini townships using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) at the cost of Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand Kwacha (K8,500,000).
