Mining & Trade News

By Modester Mwalija

The Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) is experiencing significant financial losses, amounting to an estimated MK 1.4-billion each month, due to nonrevenue water (NRW). This substantial loss highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the Board as it strives to manage water supply in the capital city.

NRW, which refers to water that is produced but not billed—often due to leaks, theft, or inaccuracies in metering—has long been a problem for LWB for quite a long time.

Public Relations Officer for Lilongwe Water Board Chisomo Chibwana emphasized the gravity of the situation in an interview, stating, “The costs of NRW arise from both operational costs of production and revenue losses from water that is lost before it reaches the consumer.”

Chibwana said in response to the challenge, LWB has launched a 5-year NRW reduction strategy, which is a key component of their 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. This strategy serves as a roadmap to systematically reduce the volume of lost water.

“We have intensified monitoring and evaluation efforts to ensure effective implementation and progress tracking,” she said.

She explained that a crucial part of this strategy is the creation of District Metered Areas (DMAs) as these DMAs break down the water distribution network into smaller, manageable areas, making it easier to identify and address the most significant sources of water loss.

“So far, 123 DMAs have been established, and the Board has also invested in a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which helps detect potential leakages in real-time,” said Chibwana.

She further said that LWB has conducted training programs to enhance the skills of its technicians in managing NRW. These initiatives are supported by an ongoing Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded project aimed at strengthening the Board’s capacity in this area.

However, Chibwana states that the Board’s efforts have not been without challenges as the creation of DMAs, along with ongoing road upgrading projects in the city, has led to increased water losses due to interconnection works and pipe flushing exercises. These activities have also resulted in frequent water supply interruptions, reducing the volume of water billed to customers.

Despite these setbacks, the LWB’s strategy has yielded some positive results as since its inception, the NRW rate has decreased by 2%, bringing it down from 42% to 40%.

“As the LWB continues to refine and implement its strategy, it remains committed to reducing these losses and improving the efficiency of Lilongwe’s water supply system,” she said.

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