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The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Collins Nzovu, has urged all Commercial Water Utilities to intensify efforts to expand water supply and sanitation services in peri-urban communities, which have historically had limited access to clean and safe water.
This call follows the successful completion of four water supply projects by the Mulonga Water Supply and Sanitation Company Limited in Mufulira’s peri-urban areas, under the Zambia Water and Sanitation Project.
According to a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday by the Ministry’s Principal Public Relations Officer, Pince Chiyuni, the project was implemented at a total cost of €770,439 and is expected to benefit more than 20,000 residents across Mukambo, Murundu, Minambe, and Zimba Compounds.
“The government is fully aware of the long-standing challenges faced by peri-urban areas in accessing adequate water and sanitation services. For many years, these communities have been underserved due to inadequate investment and limited infrastructure,” Nzovu said.
He assured that the government was committed to changing the situation by ensuring inclusive and equitable national development.
The Minister stressed that this initiative aligned with President Hakainde Hichilema’s vision to guarantee equitable access to water and sanitation services for all Zambians, regardless of social or economic status.
Similarly, Chiyuni said that, in line with the directive, all water utilities had been instructed to accelerate completion of ongoing projects in peri-urban areas to reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases and enhance public health resilience.
“Government, through the Ministry, reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to strengthening the water and sanitation sector by providing robust policy support, facilitating funding mechanisms, and ensuring a conducive environment for water utilities to deliver quality and sustainable services,” he said.
Chiyuni claimed that in Mufulira, Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company had completed the construction of four boreholes, elevated storage tanks, water distribution networks, and eight public standpipes serving the four target communities.
He added that the installations were currently undergoing final testing, while community water vendors were being trained to sustainably manage the standpipes. Customers opting for household connections will also be linked to the new network upon official commissioning.
“The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that every household has access to safe, reliable, and affordable water and sanitation services, in line with Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation),” Chiyuni assured.
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