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The Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant is crucial to the Republic of Botswana's water infrastructure plan for the Greater Gaborone and surrounding villages and town.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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Following a major success with constructing a 100km water pipeline project in Botswana, South African companies - Khato Civils and South Zambezi - won another P1.1 billion (R1.5 billion) contract to construct the largest water treatment plant in southern Africa.

The Mmamashia Water Treatment plant will be completed in July this year and aims to treat 110 ml of raw water per day. On completion, the project will add 74 million litres of water per day in the capital city, Gaborone, and surrounding rural areas.

The companies partnered with a local company, NTR, to form a joint venture (JV).

Water Utilities Corporation of Botswana (WUC) hired the JV for the design, supply, installation, construction and commissioning of the plant in November 2020 for 36 months to increase the capacity of the existing plant in Mmamashia.

“The progress to date is at 97% and we currently finalising the installation of electrical and control instrumentation systems,” said Khato Civils chief executive officer, Mongezi Mnyani.

The Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant is crucial to Republic of Botswana's water infrastructure plan for the Greater Gaborone and surrounding villages and towns.

The plant purifies water from four sources: North South Carrier, Masama, Gaborone Dam, and Bokaa. Raw water from these sources is pumped to the Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant, then distributed almost nationwide. Some pipes connecting to this plant extend from Phalapye, and water is pumped as far as Molepolole.

“This facility serves as the central hub for potable water distribution in Botswana. It is the largest of its kind in Botswana and one of the largest in Southern Africa. You won’t get anything bigger than this in the region,” said Mnyani

The project scope entails the construction of a new module that can receive and treat 110 Ml/day of raw water supplied from Dikgatlhong, Letsibogo and associated wellfields along the North South Carrier (NSC) Water Transfer Corridor.

Mnyani said that the upgraded plant, at commissioning, must be able to treat total flows of up to 220 Ml/day.

“The Water Treatment Plant structures are complete, and we are now executing the electrical, mechanical, and telemetry (EMT) aspects of the project. Over 97% of all mechanical installations, including pumps, valves, and actuators, have been completed,” he said.

“Currently, we are laying electrical cables, and once this is done, we will proceed with dry and wet commissioning. This will start as soon as the electrical, control and instrumentation (telemetry) installations are completed. Our focus is on completing and testing the electrical installations. Additionally, we are working on restoring the area and landscaping. The project is rapidly nearing completion,” Mnyani added.

EMPLOYMENT CREATION

The project has significantly contributed to poverty alleviation and employment creation for the targeted areas, he said.

 It directly employed 88 skilled, two semi-skilled, and 26 unskilled Batswana, providing opportunities for personal and professional growth.

“Additionally, another 416 semi-skilled workers were employed through subcontractors at various phases of the project. In total, over 540 people, including non-citizens, found employment through this initiative. This not only boosted the local economy but also offered a sense of purpose and stability to many families, reflecting the project's deep commitment to community development and well-being.”

CHALLENGES

Mnyani said that the most significant challenge the JV encountered with suppliers had been meeting delivery deadlines because most of the materials were manufactured in overseas countries.

“For instance, a supplier might promise an eight-week delivery timeframe, which could extend to sixteen weeks, due to issues like global semi-conductor shortages, rising steel prices, and similar factors. We factored delays in our planning and adapted our project schedule as the need arose,” Mnyani said.

“We've certainly faced our share of obstacles and overcame them. Firstly, in a project of this scale, we collaborate with various suppliers, subcontractors, and JV partners, each bringing unique skills and shortcomings. We had to ensure they aligned to our work ethic.”

Mnyani said that the JV’s commitment to transferring skills to local workers also took more time than anticipated.

“With multiple projects running concurrently, we face competition for limited resources. In Botswana, there are only a few concrete suppliers, steel manufactures, and each project competes for their supply. Through our strategic partners we ensured that supply is secured timeously,” he said.

Mnyani said that the success of this project was rooted in the organisation's structure, from the executive chairman (Simbi Phiri) to the CEO, directors, and project team.

“Teamwork has been crucial, as collaborative efforts are more effective. We adhere to project management principles and guidelines established by experts, combining these best practices with our experience, to successfully implement the Mmamashia Water Treatment Project,” he added.

WUC’S TRUST

The Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant is the second mega water project that WUC has awarded to Khato Civils/Zambezi JV. 

During Covid-19, the JV earned plaudits for completing a P900 million (R1.169 billion) emergency water pipeline project in record time and at less than half the cost.

Mnyani said that the success of the pipeline exemplified his company’s dedication and expertise in executing large-scale projects.

“This achievement not only highlights our technical capabilities but also our commitment to excellence. We are very proud of the excellent work done in this project and highly committed to complete and commission so that residents and businesspeople of the Greater Gaborone and surrounding areas have continuous and uninterrupted access to clean and portable water supply and thereby improving their livelihoods,” he said.

The 100km pipeline provides water to Botswana’s capital Gaborone and 23 villages. It runs from the Masama Well fields to Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant and draws water from an aquifer.

The WUC praised the company for completing the project, which would ordinarily take two years, in 12 months, saving the water utility P1.2 billion (about R1.6 billion).

The pipeline is not only critical for household use. It will also benefit key economic projects  along the planned Lobatse Special Economic Zone, which will be focusing specifically on meat and leather beneficiation. The  project will be dysfunctional without adequate water supply.

Another project dependent on this water project is the newly-built Moshupa Hospital.