By NAMUTENGA SAKAPILA
Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) says water supply to Chirundu has been suspended because of high levels of brownish sediment on Zambezi River the source of raw water.
LWSC Public Relations Manager Patson Phiri said the high turbidity (brownish) levels in the water have rendered treatment of the water by the water utility company virtually impossible.
Mr Phiri said the LWASCO has put in all efforts but the water quality remains compromised.
He said LWASCO has the duty to protect the lives of people and it has become necessary to suspend water supply to the town until the water quality in the Zambezi River improves.
“The required level for us to supply water from a recommended stand point is less than five Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) 5ntus but we have been registering over 40 to 50ntus in terms of purity.
“In the last 24 hours, we have observed that the main production unit is discharging water with dark colour that is not recommended for human consumption. It is also not practical from our perspective as a company that insists on total quality as our policy to supply water of compromised quality,” he said.
And he said that a team has been deployed to modify the sedimentation system in an effort to find a lasting solution to the problem of turbidity on the river.
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He said that Chemists have been sent to Chirundu to continually monitor and report on the levels of water quality.
He said it is suspected that the brown sediment levels have arisen coming from the tributaries of Zambezi River which are collecting dirty into the river.
