To benefit Botswana’s economy, a new water treatment plant project is on the way
Chobe National Park, near Kasane in northern Botswana. (Image source: WEC Projects)
This multi-stage water treatment plant will boost tourism and business and provide additional water resources to local communities. The plant is being built for the Botswana Water Utilities Corporation by Zhong Gan Engineering and Construction which subcontracted the treatment system to WEC Projects.
The plant will draw raw water from the Chobe River and pump it to a header tower and from there to the plant for the coagulation and flocculation process to remove suspended solids. The water will then pass through a lamellar clarifier to remove particulates and then further process it through a rapid gravity sand filter and rapid gravity carbon filter. Once the water has passed through the final filtration phase, it will undergo a disinfection process using chlorine dioxide before it enters the municipal water supply.
Wayne Taljaard, managing director of WEC Projects, said: “Kasane is undergoing substantial growth in its tourism industry and the Government of Botswana has responded by ensuring that the region is able to cope not only with an influx of tourists and tourism facilities, but also with the resultant increase in the number of ancillary businesses and workers that are flocking to the area.”
“The main challenge of the project is to ensure that the treated water, sourced from the Chobe River, meets the required standards for human consumption. Once completed, the plant will ensure a consistent supply of potable water to one of the country’s fastest growing regions well into the future.”
The R50 million project, which is currently in the design phase and expected to be completed in 2023.
