Rising water treatment costs worry NWSC

FORT PORTAL – The National Water and Sewerage Corporation [ NWSC ] is frightened by the high costs involved in treating the water sourced from River Mpanga, which they say, is highly polluted.

NWSC Fort Portal branch depends on River Mpanga for the water they distribute in the city but the pollution brought about by human activities has pushed up the cost of treatment, especially during the rainy season.

The NWSC branch manager Fort Portal area, Denis Muramuzi said they previously had two water treatment units but due to the high pollution, they have been forced to build another treatment plant at a cost of Shs 3 billion.

“During the rainy reason, water pollution is always high and this affects the water quality. The river is mainly polluted by human activities like sand mining, washing bays, cultivation near the water banks among others,” he said.

He said during the rainy season, they only get sand from the river into their water treatment plants and sometimes they have been forced to close the treatment plant.

“During the rainy season like this, we need to backwash the water treatment unit more than three times a day which consumes a lot of electricity and on a monthly basis we end up spending Shs  100mln to clear electricity bills,” he said.

He said annually, they buy 40 tons of sand from Entebbe to use in water treatment.

According to the quality officer at NWSC Fort Portal branch, John Onencan, between months of August and November, the cost of operation on treatment of water doubled from shs 22mln to shs 40mln.

He said during the rainy season, they use four tins of chlorine unlike in the dry season when they use three tins. He said each tin measures 45 kilogrammes.

The Fort Portal city senior environment officer, Gladys Natugonza said they are sensitizing the public on the dangers of polluting river Mpanga and encouraging them to plant trees on the river banks.

She said as city authorities, they recently launched a campaign to evict all people who have encroached on the river and are polluting it.

“Most people who are carrying out activities near the river banks don’t have pit latrines and are using the river to ease themselves which has catalyzed its pollution, we are therefore evicting them to curb the vice,” she said.

The executive director Natural Resources Defense Initiative [NRDI] said his organisation has supported the River Mpanga restoration campaign with local tree species which have been planted along the river banks.

He however noted that several people have continues to disregard the bylaws that were established despite numerous sensitization campaigns.

The Fort Portal city mayor, Edison Asaba Ruyonga said they are now considering evicting all the washing bays along the river banks to reduce the pollution levels.

Attempts by environmentalists to save river Mpanga from pollution have hit a dead end despite billions of money injected into restoration measures.

River Mpanga originates from Rwenzori mountains snakes through Fort Portal town to Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Kamwenge, and Kitagwenda before it flashes its waters into Lake George.

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