Dr. Eng Silver Mugisha and the Nile River Water Supply system consultant visiting proposed project sites (PHOTO/Courtesy).
KAMPALA – The Government of Uganda through NWSC is constructing the Gulu Water Supply and Sanitation project to serve over 341,000 people in Gulu, Karuma, Kamdini, Minakulu, Bobi, Palenga, Koro- Abili and the surrounding areas
The project will draw water from River Nile at Karuma.
The project encompasses;
- 72km bulk water transmission main from Karuma to Gulu.
- 30million litres per/day capacity water intake at Karuma.
- 10million litres per/day capacity Nile water treatment plant
- No (2) 5.3million litres capacity water reservoirs
- Water Pumping station
- SCADA system for the new plant and supply system
- 42 water borne toilets
- Improve access to safe Sanitation to over 170, 000 people.
According to NWSC, the civil works at the water intake in Karuma are complete.
“Work on the treatment plant, reservoirs and pipeline are expected to commence in June next year will end by June 2023.”
During a tour of the project, NWSC MD Dr. Eng Silver Mugisha said that the corporation is working towards 100% water and sanitation for all residents of Gulu City.
“A few years back, our water source Oyitino dam and the taps in Gulu dried up as a result of the extreme weather conditions in the area. NWSC through GoU support and working with other development partners embarked on plans to boost water supply reliability in the area,” he said
Dr. Mugisha said NWSC is working on both short and long term interventions.
The short term interventions already completed include;
- Upgraded Oyitino dam water storage capacity from 2.7B litres of water to now 4.2B litres of water.
- Improvd daily water production from 3million litres of water per day to now 10million litres of water supplied
- Rehabilitated the waste water stabilization ponds
- Constructed a Faecal sludge treatment plant at Cubu
- Upgraded existing sewers and laid new sewer mains in Gulu City
- Upgraded the Oyitino dam pumping system from 5million litres of water pay capacity to now 10million litres of water per day
- Installed a 400KVA generator at Oyitino Dam
- Interconnected Oyitino Dam 1 to Oyitino Dam 2. The two will ably supply the city during the hard dry season
- Rehabilitation of Gulu water works
- Upgraded Gulu city distribution network
- 200 community sewer connections
- 6 motorised boreholes with installed capacity of upto 2.4milion litres of water per day
Upon completion, the two projects will cater for demand for water services in Gulu and the surrounding towns upto the year 2040.
He urged Gulu city residents to guard the environment jealously and reminded them of the recent effects of extreme weather conditions
Other works
Water and Sanitation improvement works are ongoing in Lira, Arua, Parambo, Adjumani, Moyo, Nebbi, Koboko, Bushenyi, Mbarara, Isingiro, Fort Portal, Lugazi, Kampala, Soroti, and in many other towns
Responding to a request for prepaid meters, Dr. Mugisha shared that prepaid meters are not a service to the people but a medium for efficient revenue collection for the company.
“It makes no sense buying prepaid meters of 1000USD each when some people don’t have water which is a basic need. Let us achieve 100% and then modernise,” he advised.
