VICTORIA FALLS municipality and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) plan to build a new water station to boost the resort town’s water capacity by 600 cubic metres.
Report by Nqobile Bhebhe
Victoria Falls mayor Nkosilathi Jiyane told NewsDay that the project on the Zambezi River that runs into millions of dollars had been approved by council.
“As council, we discussed the issue of raising water capacity and a new water station was suggested,” he said.
“Council has since agreed to go ahead with the project.”
Jiyane said money from the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) would be used to finance the project which is part of preparations for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly in August.
Victoria Falls and Zambia’s neighbouring resort town of Livingstone will co-host the world event.
“We are confident that the project would be complete before the UNWTO meeting,” Jiyane said.
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“But the pump station would be used long after the event is over. “Currently, we are planning on a population of 750 000 people and it might grow hence the need of a new pump station.”
According to the scope of an environmental impact assessment to be conducted, the project will include upgrading the pumping capacity from the current 900 cubic metres per hour to 1 500 cubic metres and boosting pump stations at Midway booster and Airport tower. The local authority also wants to duplicate the raw water mains through a 400mm diameter pipe, new 200mm diameter irrigation war water main and a new reservoir at the Old Aerodrone site.
Zinwa said the project was part of Zimbabwe’s “preparations to successfully co-host the UNWTO conference with Zambia in Victoria Falls in August 2013 and will offer a long term value to Victoria Falls water supply system”.
On Wednesday, Finance minister Tendai Biti told the House of Assembly the government would soon release funds to publicise the event.
