Northern Region Water Board: Mzimba Integrated Urban Water and Sanitation Project

The Mandate of Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) is to ensure that all people have potable drinking water hence the Parastatal Organization has over the years been responsible for provision of potable water and waterborne sanitation services in the urban centres of the Northern Region of Malawi.

The Mzimba Water Supply System is one of the schemes which are within the mandate of the NRWB but after noting that the capacity of the System does not match the water demand at Mzimba Town and the sanitation challenges faced by the Town, the Government of Malawi in line with the Public Sector Reforms Programme championed by His Excellency President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika initiated the Mzimba Integrated Urban Water and Sanitation Project under Northern Region Water Board.

The Project is budgeted at a sum of approximately K17 billion financed by the African Development Fund (ADF), OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and the Government of Malawi through Northern Region Water Board (NRWB). The implementation of the project which is now in its completion stage started in May 2017 by Sawa Group and will be handed to NRWB early December 2018.

The project development objective is to increase access to reliable and sustainable potable water supply and improved sanitation services for the socio-economic growth and development of Mzimba Town and the country. A total number of 75,000 people will be reached with potable water and 31,000 people will benefit from sanitation and hygiene project interventions including pupils in public primary schools by the year 2030. The new water system will also supply water to Mombera University currently under construction in the district.

Other benefits include, job creation for the residents of Mzimba Town; community sensitization on cross-cutting issues such as HIV Aids and Malaria targeting 20,000 people; a total of 600, 000 seedlings already planted in the water systems catchment and surrounding areas; improved toilets already constructed in 5 primary schools and Mzimba Market. NRWB also provided 300 beehives and accessories to the communities around the catchment as an alternative means of livelihood to charcoal production and selling which promote deforestation.

The Mzimba Integrated Urban Water and Sanitation Project under NRWB is a commendable initiative aimed at creating a high performing fit for purpose Public Sector as advocated by His Excellency President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika through the Public Sector Reforms Programme

Feedback: opcreforms@gmail.com