GFA CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER SURVEY IN THE CITY OF LUSAKA
Within the GIZ Reform of the Water Sector II program in #Zambia, implemented by GFA, an Industrial Wastewater (IWW) survey was conducted. The focus was on industries, hotels, clinics, and public places that discharge wastewater into the sewer system managed by #Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company #LWSC. The overarching aim of the survey was to investigate the various industrial wastewater management #IWWM practices among industries in the city of #Lusaka and define the categories of wastewater discharged into the sewerage system that can affect the operation of the wastewater treatment plant.
During the eight weeks of the survey, between June and September 2021, comprehensive data were collected from 836 industriescompanies. One of the main findings was that only 32% of surveyed industries discharge their wastewater into the sewer line managed by LWSC. In addition, 227 of the 836 industries have incorporated some form of pre-treatment facility, and only 19 have an internal wastewater sampling and monitoring program. The survey results demonstrate that more industries need to include pretreatment facilities in their processes. In addition, it is necessary to extend the current sewerage lines and connect more industriesso that more industries will discharge their wastewater into the sewer line instead of using septic tanks, making IWWM practices easier to monitor. Lastly, the IWW survey data is stored on #mWater, an online open-source platform accessible to interested stakeholders. In mWater, a comprehensive industrial wastewater management database has been created for easier monitoring and tracking of IWWM practices among these industries.
mWater provides a free, scalable technology platform that enables data-driven management by governments, utilities, water authorities, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners. Although this data is available on mWater and can be accessed by the public, the database will be co-managed by the GIS units of LWSC and Lusaka City Council (LCC), who will regularly exchange data necessary for the daily operation of both institutions. On 8th April 2022, a training on how to use the mWater platform took place in Lusaka. GIS units from LWSC and LCC learned how to use mWater in daily operations and how to create reports, tables, maps, dashboards, data grids, and consoles.
Project in brief
@GIZ
