Corporate Plan 2009-2010

Corporate Plan2009-2014
Lilongwe Water Board
LILONG
WE
WATER
BOARD
CORPORATE PLAN
FOR
2009
TO
2014
LILONGWE WATER BOARD, MADZI HOUSE,OFF LIKUNI

ROAD
P.O. BOX 96 LILONGWE, MALAWI
List of Acronyms
AO
Administrative Officer
Board
Lilongwe Water Board - Directors
B&WAD
Byelaws and Water Audit Division
CA
Catchment Area
CB
Clerk to the Board
DGM (TS)
Deputy General Manager (Technical Services)
DH
Divisional Head
E&M
Electrical and Mechanical
FC
Financial Controller
FA
Financial Accountant
GM
GIS
HRM TD
HOD
General Manager
Geographical Information System
Human Resources Management and Training
Division
Head Of Division
IAD
Internal Audit Division
ICT
Information and Communication Technology
IPC
Internal Procurement Committee
KD 1
Kamuzu Dam 1
KD 2
Kamuzu Dam 2
KMP
Kiosk Management Programme
KDCC
KEP
KM
Kamuzu Dams Catchment Conservation

Kiosk Elimination Programme
Kiosk Manager
ii
LWB
Ml/day
Mega litres per day (1000m3 per day)
MIS
Management Information System
MA
Management Accountant
NRW
Non Revenue Water
NWDP II
National Water Development Project II
OZ
Operational Zone
OD
Operations Division
OSEC
On Site Electrolytic Chlorination
PD
Projects Division
PLD
Planning Division
RA
Revenue Accountant
SCADA
STI
UFW
VCT
WQ&ED
WIP
ZM
Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition

Sexually Transmitted Infection(s)
Unaccounted For Water
Voluntary Counselling and Testing
Water Quality and Environment Division
Work In Progress
Zone Manager
Foreword
The Lilongwe Water Boards Corporate Plan is a strategic planning tool for
the utility. The plan clearly defines the Boards mission, vision, long term
iii
goal, general and specific objectives and strategies that may be utilized in
order to achieve the goal while fulfilling the mission. The Corporate plan
identifies issues to be addressed over the planning period (2009 to
20014). It covers attributes of Lilongwe Water Board that need to be
changed, like the financial position, and others that need to be sustained.
The development of this plan is intended to coincide with existing
strategies aimed at improving the supply of water to the City of Lilongwe
and surrounding areas.
It is virtually important, though, to remember that this five- year Plan is a
living document and, as such, will be continuously modified in line with
developments or changes during its five year term to ensure that the
information presented remains relevant and accurate.
Although Lilongwe Water Board has over the years invested considerable
amounts of money in water supply services, new investments are still
essential due to rapid population growth, large unmet needs, and a
sizeable backlog of postponed maintenance expenditures. However,
internal generation of funds by the Board is disappointingly low and
consequently the pressure is on the Board to find finances to fund new
projects through international lending institutions or grants. It is becoming
obvious that needed levels of investment cannot be sustained over the
long run if business continues as usual.
One option that could bring
immediate results would be the Public- Private sector Participation. The

Lilongwe Water Board could retain ultimate control over some functions
because water supply is an essential service. The advantages that are to
be realized with the private sector participation are:
Availability of commercial funds for capital and improvement works

shall be easier to obtain than government guaranteed loans
Specialized technical and managerial skills can be brought in to the

benefit of the utility
Improved efficiencies of service that can be set as contractual

obligations.
iv
The plan is based on the 2008 Population and Housing Census Preliminary
Report figures which were projected up to 2014. Considering how long this
period is and the fact the development patterns tend to change a lot,
there may be a need to review the projections over the planning horizon to
reflect the actual demographic patterns on the ground.
Table of
Contentsvi
List of Acronyms.............................................................................................................. ii
Foreword.......................................................................................................................... iv
List of figures.ix...........Error!
Bookmark not defined.
Executive Summary........................................................................................................ x
v
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 2 PURPOSE, STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE CORPORATE
PLAN
3
2.0 Purpose................................................................................................................ 3
2.1
Strength of the Corporate Plan......................................................................3
2.2 Measurement of Performance..........................................................................3
2.3
Limitation of the Corporate Plan....................................................................3
2.4
Key Assumptions.............................................................................................. 4
CHAPTER 3 OVERVIEW OF LILONGWE WATER BOARD.............................................5
Corporate Vision........................................................................................................... 5
Mission Statement....................................................................................................... 5
Core Values................................................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES...............................................................................7
CHAPTER 5 SITUATION ANALYSIS.................................................................................8
5.0 Existing Infrastructure and Systems...............................................................8
5.1 Raw Water Sources and Dam Structures........................................................9
5.2 Water Treatment Facilities..............................................................................12
5.3 Raw Water Pump Sets......................................................................................13
5.4 Service Reservoirs............................................................................................ 15
5.4.1 Tsabango Reservoirs................................................................................................................17
5.4.2 Ngwenya Reservoir..................................................................................................................18
5.4.3 Mwenda Reservoirs..................................................................................................................18
5.4.4 Area 9 Tower...............................................................................................................................19
5.4.5 Mtunthama Reservoirs............................................................................................................19
5.4.6 Chayamba Reservoir...............................................................................................................20
5.4.7 Kanengo Reservoirs.................................................................................................................20
5.4.8 Sandula Reservoir.....................................................................................................................21
5.4.9 Lumbadzi Tower.........................................................................................................................21
5.5 Transmission/Trunk Mains...............................................................................22
5.5.1 TW1 to Mwenda.........................................................................................................................23
5.5.2 Mwenda to Tsabango...............................................................................................................24
5.5.3 Mwenda to Ngwenya...............................................................................................................25
5.5.4 TW2 to Mtunthama..................................................................................................................25
5.5.5 Mtunthama to Area 9..............................................................................................................26
5.5.6 TW2 to Chayamba....................................................................................................................26
5.5.7 NBS to Kanengo Trunk Mains...............................................................................................27
5.5.8 Kanengo to Sandula.................................................................................................................27
5.5.9 Lumbadzi Booster to Lumbadzi Tower..............................................................................28
5.6 High Lift Pumping Stations.............................................................................29
5.6.1 TW 1 High Lift Station.............................................................................................................30
5.6.2 TW2 High Lift Station..............................................................................................................31
5.6.3 Mwenda Booster Station........................................................................................................31
5.6.4 Mtunthama Booster Station..................................................................................................32
5.6.5 Northern Booster Station.......................................................................................................32
5.6.6 Kanengo Booster Station.......................................................................................................33
5.6.7 Lumbadzi Booster Station.....................................................................................................33
5.7 Distribution System.......................................................................................... 33
5.7.1 Facility Sizing.................................................................................................... 34
5.7.2 Sizing Procedures............................................................................................. 34
5.7.3 Minimum Size.................................................................................................... 35
5.7.4 Peak Hourly Demand (PHD)............................................................................35
5.7.5 Fire Suppression Flow.................................................................................36
5.7.6 Minimum Distribution System Pressure........................................................36
5.7.7 Maximum Velocity............................................................................................ 37
5.7.8 Excess Pressure................................................................................................ 37
5.7.9 Surge and Transient Control...........................................................................37
5.7.10................................................................................... Computer Modelling
38
5.8 Current State of Assets...................................................................................55
5.9 Summary of Critical Gaps/ Shortfalls according to State of Assets..........57
Raw Water Sources..................................................................................................................................58
vi
Treatment Plants.......................................................................................................................................58
Service Reservoirs....................................................................................................................................59
Transmission Mains..................................................................................................................................60
Pumping Stations......................................................................................................................................61
Distribution Mains.....................................................................................................................................62
Other Shortfalls.........................................................................................................................................62
5.10 Stakeholder Analysis........................................................................................ 63
5.11 Market Characteristics and Customer Analysis...........................................67
5.12 Demand Projections......................................................................................... 68
5.13 Population Projections.....................................................................................71
5.14 Tariff Structure.................................................................................................. 73
5.15 Financial Status of Business for the Board..................................................76
5.16 General SWOT Analysis for the Business Environment..............................77
CHAPTER 6 KEY OBJECTIVES IN FUNCTIONAL AREAS............................................82
6.1 Water Quality.................................................................................................... 82
6.2 Customer Satisfaction......................................................................................82
6.3 Operational Optimization................................................................................82
6.4 Infrastructure Sustainability..........................................................................83
6.5 Financial Viability............................................................................................. 83
6.6 Operational Resiliency.....................................................................................83
6.7 Employee and Leadership Development.......................................................84
6.8 Community Sustainability...............................................................................84
6.9 Water Resource Adequacy..............................................................................84
6.10 Stakeholder Understanding and Support.....................................................85
CHAPTER 7 ENHANCING PERFORMANCE IN KEY FUNCTIONAL AREAS................86
7.0 General............................................................................................................... 86
7.1 Water Source Management including Headworks.......................................86
7.2 Treatment Works.............................................................................................. 88
7.2.1 Enhancing Performance Efficiency in Operation and Maintenance.......................89
7.2.2 Enhancing Performance Efficiency Related to Technology............................................93
7.2.3 Enhancing Performance Efficiency Related to Organizational Constraints........95
7.3 Maintenance and Rehabilitation.......................................................................96
7.3.1 Challenges in Maintenance and Rehabilitation Works....................................................96
7.4 Customer Service.............................................................................................. 99
7.5 Information and Control Systems Technologies........................................105
7.6 Creating an Energy Efficient Utility.............................................................110
CHAPTER 8 CAPITAL INVESTMENT REQUIREMENTS.............................................113
8.0 Proposed Capital Investment Program 2009 to 2014...............................113
8.1 Capital Projects Under National Water Development Programme No.2 114
8.2 Proposed Capital Projects Based On Identified Gaps and Shortfalls......117
8.3 Proposed Projects for Enhancing Performance in Key Functional Areas
120
8.4 Financing Plan................................................................................................. 123
CHAPTER 9 ASSETS MANAGEMENT.......................................................................124
9.1
What is Asset Management.........................................................................124
9.2 Benefits of Asset Management.....................................................................125
9.3 Core Components of Asset Management....................................................126
9.4 Some Fixed Assets Management Measures within the Board.................133
CHAPTER 10 FINANCE, FINANCING AND CHARGES...............................................134
10.0 General............................................................................................................. 134
10.1
Financial Objectives of the Board.....................................................................................134
10.2
Regulations and Procedures for Implementation of Tariff Adjustment...............135
10.3
Loans and Debt Restructuring...........................................................................................135
10.4
Financial Performance 2009 to 2014..............................................................................136
10.5
Financial Risks..........................................................................................................................139
CHAPTER 11 SECTOR REFORMS................................................................................141
11.0 General............................................................................................................. 141
11.1
Restructuring............................................................................................................................143
11.2
Sanitation Reforms.................................................................................................................144
11.3
Government Role....................................................................................................................145
11.4
Time Framework......................................................................................................................146
vii
11.5
Risks............................................................................................................................................147
CHAPTER 12 CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE PRIORITIES............149
12.0 General............................................................................................................. 149
12.1 Challenges......................................................................................................................................149
12.2
Future Opportunities.............................................................................................................152
CHAPTER 13 MONITORING, EVALUATION AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. .158
13.0 General............................................................................................................. 158
13.1 Performance Indicators.................................................................................161
13.2 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS BASED ON WORLD HEALTHORGANISATION
GUIDE LINE VALUES.................................................................................................. 173
13.2.2 Classification of Surface Water -Faecal Coliform guide level maximum
numbers/100 ml......................................................................................................................................173
13.2.3 World Health Organisation Standards of bacterial quality......................................173
Compliance...............................................................................................................................................173
13.2.4 Water leaving a water treatment works frequency of sampling.......................173
13.3 Evaluation Strategies.....................................................................................174
CHAPTER 14 RESOURCES REQUIRED........................................................................175
14.0 General............................................................................................................. 175
14.1 Human Resources: Present...........................................................................175
14.2 The Board......................................................................................................... 175
14.3 Management.................................................................................................... 176
14.4 Staff.................................................................................................................. 176
14.5 Human Resource Requirements: Future.....................................................178
14.6 Employee Relations........................................................................................179
14.7 Human Resources Development...................................................................179
14.7.1 Strategic Human Resource Development Aims............................................................180
14.7.2 Human Resources Management.........................................................................................180
14.7.3 Strategies for Human Resources Development............................................................180
14.8 Managing Impact of HIV/AIDS.......................................................................181
14.9 Financial and Other Requirements..............................................................181
CHAPTER 15 NEW STRATEGIES..................................................................................183
15.0 General............................................................................................................. 183
15.1 Integrated IT Management...........................................................................183
15.2 Prepaid Metering............................................................................................ 183
15.3 Water Demand Management........................................................................184
15.4 Sewerage and Sanitation System................................................................186
15.5 Meter Testing Bench.......................................................................................187
15.6 Hand delivery of Bills.....................................................................................187
15.7 Job Evaluation and Grading...........................................................................188
15.8 Risk Management and Contingency............................................................189
15.9 Extension of Supply to Nanjiri, Dowa Turn Off and Chitedze...................189
15.10............................................................................... Twinning Arrangements
190
List of figures.ix
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
1 Water Flow Outline...........................................................................................................................9

2 Kamuzu Dam 2.................................................................................................................................10
3 Treatment Works..............................................................................................................................12
4 Storage Reservoirs..........................................................................................................................15
5 Transmission Main...........................................................................................................................22
6 TW1 Highlift Pump Station...........................................................................................................29
7 Kamuzu Dam 2-Water Source not adequate.........................................................................55
8 Pen Hall for TW2 Raw Water Pump after breakdown.........................................................56
9 TW1 Pump sets under repairing process................................................................................57
10 Kanengo Reservoir Leakage.....................................................................................................60
11 Distribution of Lilongwe Water Board Customers.............................................................68
12 Demand Projection based on Production.............................................................................69
viii
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Peak Demand Projection............................................................................................................70

Demand Projection based on Socio-economic Data........................................................71
Integrated Elements of Operations and maintenance.......................................96
Pump-one of the Board's Critical Assets............................................................................124
Organizational Structure-Lilongwe Water Board.............................................................175
Main Breakage Requires Work Force................................................................177
Maintenance Team at Work.....................................................................................................178
Executive Summary
Lilongwe Water Board, a statutory corporation mandated by the Malawi
Government through Waterworks Act No. 17 (1995) to supply water to the
city of Lilongwe and surrounding areas. As at June 30 th 2008 the Board had
a supply coverage of about 400 km2. However, the water service area was
extended officially from April 2008 to Dowa turn off in the North, to Nanjiri
River in the South, to Chitedze Agriculture Research Station in the West
and up to Chigwilizano Trading Centre in the South West and the water
ix
supply area has increased to about 550 km 2.
Lilongwe Water Board is
expected to take over Likuni Zone which is currently under central Region
water Board by 1st July 2009. This Zone already has some infrastructure in
place even though there is need for improvement.
With its design treatment capacity of 95,000 m3/d and approximately
30,000 metered connections (excluding those for Likuni Zone), the Board
has a revenue collection ratio of 93% and its Non-Revenue Water
(NRW)/Unaccounted For Water (UFW) stands at 31% of the total
production. Through several projects implemented with the support of
European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank (WB) in the past
years, the Board is currently able to provide a 24-hour supply to its
customers.
The Board however faces a number of challenges in its operations to
supply water which include increasing water demand due to population
growth of the city which is currently estimated to be between 4 and 5%,
increasing need to provide adequate water supply services to low-income
areas, dilapidation of water facilities due to old age leading to low
efficiencies and high operational costs, high levels of non-revenue water/
Unaccounted
For
Water, inefficient
customer service and financial
management systems, impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic resulting in loss of

productive people and high welfare costs, etc.
Malawi Growth Development Strategy:
In order to address the challenges and in an effort to achieve the
Government of Malawis goals contained in the Malawi Development and
Growth Strategy and the Millennium Development Goals, the Board has
developed a five year Corporate Plan for 2009 to 2014. The Corporate Plan
sets out short, medium and long term objectives and prepared a capital
investment plan that presents a realistic level of investment to address
key functional issues affecting the delivery of water supply and sanitation
services in the planned, unplanned and per-urban areas of the city.
The Corporate Plan takes recognisance of the Governments commitment

to transform the Water Board through the Water Sector Reform process
that has been initiated with the support of the World Bank. The reforms are
an attempt to improve the financial and operational efficiency of the water
sector in Malawi. The envisaged reforms would like to split the existing
Water Board organisational set-ups in order to separate the roles in the
provision of water services.
It is expected that the Boards will be
restructured into two entities: an Asset Holding Company responsible for

asset development and management and Public Limited Operating
Company responsible for operate the facilities. As part of the reforms, the
Water Services Regulator will be created to regulate the water sector.
In view of this, the next five years will be a major transition period in the
water sector in general and for LWB in particular. This will present LWB and
Government of Malawi with new challenges and opportunities for the
financial sustainability of the Board.
The Corporate Plan as a road map provides the necessary perspective for
the Board on how it can improve on technical, financial development and
management and has developed a five year investment plan.
The
investment plan developed for this Corporate Plan focuses on five priority
areas
of
action
that
are
designed
to:
revitalise
the
operational
performance of the Board by rehabilitating key facilities, reduce non

revenue water (NRW)/Unaccounted For Water (UFW) expand and improve
services (water and sanitation) in the low income areas, support the
introduction and contracting of efficient operators from the private sector
and implement an effective HIV/AIDS impact reduction programme among
the staff of the Board.
This Corporate Plan translated into a project, will primarily address safe
and sustainable water supply and basic sanitation services to low-income
areas in city of Lilongwe, by a combination of (a) physical investment in
upgrading infrastructure (pipes, pumps, distribution network, etc), (b)
institutional capacity development through contractual arrangements with
private-sector service-providers, and (c) close cooperation with local
organisations for distribution in the low-income areas. The project
estimated at MK 2,773 million will have an objectively measurable impact
xi
on the living conditions by bringing safe and sustainable drinking water to

415,000 additional people and basic sanitation to 197,000 people in low
income areas of the city of Lilongwe by 2013.
This will require an effective and committed support from the international
community to achieve the specific aims of improved service provision,
especially in the low income areas as this is in line with the Government of
Malawis Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Millennium Development
Goals that the international community is committed to support. The
Government is fully committed on all aspects of water sector reforms to
enhance operational and financial efficiency.
By 2014, the Corporate Plan therefore forecasts to at least achieve
providing water and sanitation services to about 415,000 people in the low
income areas, reduce NRW/UFW from 31% to 16%, improve revenue
collection ratio from 72% to 97% by improving customer and financial
management system. As part of the initiative, it is envisaged that the
impact of HIV/AIDS on staff would be reduced.
The Corporate Plan also aims at achieving a sustainable recovery in
financial and operational efficiency of the Board. It is focused that the
operating ratio will decline from 103% to 80% by 2011, rate of return will
improve from -4% to 3% by 2011. The expected net income after tax is
expected to be MK291 million by 2011 from losses of MK94 million in 2005
with estimated water supply connections of over 80,000 by 2015.
xii
xiii
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION.
Apart from statutory requirement according to Section 68, sub-section (1)

of the Public Finance Management Act (No.7 of 2003), that
demands
submission of the Performance and Management Plan at least

months before the end of each financial year
three
to the Minister and
Secretary to the Treasury, it is requisite for any successful business to

formulate a clear goal that can be achieved over the planning period
through master planning. Master Planning is the only real way to do long
range forecasting for the needs and direction of Lilongwe Water Board.
Without the master plan, it is most likely that the Board will end up making
decisions from a reactionary point of view as opposed to taking a proactive
approach. It is hoped that master planning (Corporate Planning) will help
the Board to make each kwacha count when there is limited capital
available.
The Corporate Plan outlines the long-term goal of the Board, general as
well as specific objectives, strategies for achieving the same and setting
proper mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation.
For this to be done,
objectively verifiable indicators must be formulated, means of verification

must be drawn and measurable targets in terms of deliverables and dates
of delivery must be set. This plan provides an outline of how Management
of Lilongwe Water Board intends to conduct its operations and business
over the five year planning period starting from 2009. The plan is also
intended to serve in the following areas;
To provide means of sharing information with employees, customers,

government and potential investors, so that there is an agreement
on the utilitys plans.
To ensure that investment decisions take account of what customers

want and are prepared to pay for.
To ensure that revenues are sufficient for full cost recovery i.e. the
utility is financially sustainable.
To help the utility to monitor financial and technical performance.

1
To support performance-based contracts with employees or private

sector where applicable by helping to identify and agree on
performance targets.
To support activities needed for performance improvements, such as

water quality monitoring, benchmarking and external audits.
CHAPTER 2
PURPOSE, STRENGTHS AND
LIMITATIONS OF THE CORPORATE PLAN
2.0 Purpose
The Corporate Plan outlines the Boards goal, specific objectives,
performance indicators including targets and strategies to be utilised
to achieve the goal over the five year planning period .
2.1 Strength of the Corporate Plan
The
Corporate
Plan
is
an
authoritative
document
for
all
Departments of the Lilongwe Water Board. It represents the

considered views and collective expertise of the Board and its
Management. It therefore stands as a guideline to be followed when
outlining annual business in order to achieve the long-term goal for
the planning period.
2.2
Measurement of Performance
The Corporate Plan is a central reference point for defining the
Boards goal, specific objectives and targets that have to be
achieved within the five year planning horizon.
2.3
Limitation of the Corporate Plan

The Plan is based on the best information and factors available at
the time of preparation. However, these factors, be they internal or
external are subject to change. Some factors may also emerge or
evolve during the planning period and this may necessitate some
changes in the framework of the Plan. It is because of the same
reasons that the Board requires a periodic review of certain
objectives, policies and targets. It is also obvious that the objectives
and policies are dependent on the influence of key stakeholders and
the prevailing economic parameters. Changes in key stakeholders
and economic conditions automatically necessitate the review of the
Corporate Plan
2.4
Key Assumptions
Some of the Key assumptions used in developing this
Corporate Plan
were:
Improvements in the macro-economic environment will

continue to the extent that:
1. Interest will be equal to or less than 16%;
2. Average Inflation Rate shall be equal to or less than
10%;
3. The exchange rates will be equal to or less than:
1.0 US$
= MK149.00
1.0 Euro = MK180.00
Government will fulfil its promise and commitment to

restructure the Boards Balance Sheet;
The
average tariff will increase by approximately 12%
annually.
Climatic conditions will be will continue to be good over the

planning period.
Accounts receivables will reduce to minimal over the

planning period.
Financing institutions will be identified to fund the Boards

efficiency Improvement
programmes over the planning
period.
CHAPTER 3
OVERVIEW OF LILONGWE WATER BOARD

4
Lilongwe Water Board as a Utility, was established in 1947 and

constituted as a Statutory Corporation mandated to serve the City of
Lilongwe and its surrounding peri-urban water areas as prescribed
(from time to time) by the the Malawi Government in accordance
with the provisions of the Waterworks Act No. 17 of 1995.
It is a Corporate Body with perpetual succession and Common Seal,
and as a Corporate Body, it is separate and distinct from any
sponsoring Body, Ministry or organ of Government.
The Boards core business is the provision of water, either treated or
untreated, by way of bulk supply or distribution system to the
consumers; and the provision of waste water collection, treatment
and disposal facilities within the urban and peri-urban areas within
the City of Lilongwe. According to the Act, Lilongwe Water Board is
supposed to be operated and managed as a full commercial entity.
This therefore entails that the Board is supposed to charge full cost
recovery rates for the services rendered; thereby ensuring financial
sustainability.
Corporate Vision
To become a World Class, customer focused, financially viable
Water Utility
Mission Statement
To provide adequate supply of wholesome water and quality
services to all its customers in an efficient and effective manner,
while being environmentally conscious and friendly
Core Values
Lilongwe Water Board realizes that the success of its business is
hinged on satisfying customer needs. It also realizes that public
health aspects of water supply are matters of life and death.
Accordingly, water is a public good that whether supplied by a
5
private or public entity, it is the ultimate responsibility of the

community. Ensuring the safety of drinking water and the reliability
of the communitys supply are serious matters of public trust that
the utility vigilantly and conscientiously implements. This critical
obligation of the utility must be supported by the Government,
scrupulously honoured by our staff, and well known and trusted by
our customers. In order to uphold this philosophy Lilongwe Water
Board believes that:
Members of Staff should be Quality and Result driven in a bid to
exceed
customer
expectations.
Adopting
the
Concept
of
Empowerment and Engagement, Members of Staff will work to a set

of Core Values that will underpin our Mission to achieve our
Corporate Vision. These values will among others include:
Integrity,
Mutual Respect,
Trust,
Fairness,
Innovation,
Pro-activity
Teamwork.
CHAPTER 4
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
In line with the demands of the National Water Resources

Management Policy and Strategies Report, (compiled and adopted
by Government in May 1994), water is supposed to be managed not
only as a social good, but also as an economic good. The need to
manage the utility as a commercial entity and treat water not only
as a social good, but also an economic good, has meant that
Lilongwe Water Board has had to determine its proper strategic
direction and put in place developmental agenda which would
enable it, on behalf of the Government, provide the much needed
potable water supply and sanitation services in the most efficient
and cost effective manner.
This realization has necessitated Lilongwe Water Board to formulate
Corporate and Business Plans as tools for allocating scarce resources
amongst their competing demands in an efficient, reliable and
sustainable manner at the same time allow the Board to continue
with its core processes and service delivery.
Lilongwe Water Board also realizes that it faces so many forces that
necessitate change in the planning approach. Globalisation of
business enterprises means that Lilongwe Water Board must
compete both at local and international scene for it to secure
funding for projects that cannot be implemented internally.
CHAPTER 5
SITUATION ANALYSIS
5.0 Existing Infrastructure and Systems
It is important to analyse the existing facilities in order to determine

the operational gap that need remedial measures for operational
indicators to meet required targets and standards.
The Lilongwe Water Board gets its water from Lilongwe River. There
are two impounding reservoirs upstream of the abstraction point
namely Kamuzu Dam I and Kamuzu Dam II. Kamuzu Dam I is located
about 25km from the abstraction point. It was constructed in 1966.
Several interventions were undertaken to ensure that the stability
and integrity of the dam were kept in order.
Kamuzu Dam II was rehabilitated and raised in 1999 to increase its
storage capacity to meet water suppyly up to and beyond 2005.
Water is abstracted and treatment about 25km from the dams at
Lilongwe Water Board Treatments Works in Likuni.
There are two
Treatment Works namely Treatment Works 1 and Treatment Works 2.

TW I was progressively constructed from 1966 and has a design
capacity of 35,000 m3 per day. It consists of four production lines i.e.
lines A to D. It has undergone rehabilitation several times before.
Treatment Works 2 constructed in 1992 and extended in 2000 has a
design capacity of 60,000m 3 giving the total design capacity of the
plants at 95,000m3 per day.
From the treatment plants water is pumped using high-lift pumps to
service reservoirs. In cases where service reservoirs are so far or so
high that the head from the high lift pumps cannot suffice, booster
stations have been put in place to provide additional head for water
to reach the target areas. There are 5 Booster and Pumping Stations
namely Mwenda; Mtunthama; Northern Booster Station; Kanengo;
Lumbadzi .
The Board also operates a small water treatment plant at Kamuzu
Dam 2 with a capacity of 800m 3/day to cater for Bunda College of
Agriculture.
From the service reservoirs water flows by gravity into the
distribution networks. The distribution networks is designed to carry
8
enough water to meet the demand of target areas. It is also

designed to withstand total head from the service reservoirs.
Figure 1 Water Flow Outline
5.1 Raw Water Sources and Dam Structures

The two reservoirs upstream of the intake works act as storage for
the dry season during which the flow from Lilongwe River cannot
sustain production. At highest regulated water level Kamuzu Dam 1
was designed to have a storage volume of 4.5 million cubic meters
and Kamuzu Dam 2 was designed to have a storage volume of 19.8
million
cubic
meters.
Neglecting
the
influence
of
reservoir
sedimentation, the two Dams collectively were designed to provide a

total storage volume of 24.3 million cubic meters. However, this
capacity is reducing on an annual basis at a rate of approximately
66,760m3 per year. The real degradation rate is not known.
Approximations closer to reality can be achieved using real time
modeling.
Figure 2 Kamuzu Dam 2
Based on the operational data of the two dams from the year 2000
between January and July, the dam outlets are closed and , the
spillage from the dams including downstream recharge, flows from
Likuni
and
Lisungwi
tributaries
suffice
adequate
water
for
production. The dam outlets are opened between August and

December.
From 2008, the Board shall require an average raw water abstraction
of 92,439m3 per day rising up to 120,763m 3 in 2013. According to
the assessment, the actual water available for abstraction is enough
to last for 4.9 months in 2008 and dropping down to 3.7 months in
2013. Considering that on average there are 5 months when water
from the dams is used, there is critical need to develop a new source
to cater for the deficit. This would not be a problem in a wet year as
the raw water abstraction would be complemented by recharge from
Lilongwe River itself and flows from its tributaries. However, the
situation would be critical in a dry year which would necessitate use
of the dam water for over 5 months in which case rationing would
have to be imposed.
There is need to carry out real time inflow modeling for the two
reservoirs to ascertain the prediction of available water. Besides
10
inflow modeling there is need to evaluate water losses from the

system be it by evapo-transpiration or any other consumptive use.
This will lead to a reliable water balance equation that can be
utilized to indicate the availability of water at any point within the
system and indeed support any measure for the conservation of the
ecosystem. There is need to carry out real time sediment modeling
in the two reservoirs to ascertain the availability of volume for live
storage of water.
Previous studies indicated that the dam structures were in good
condition in as far as structural integrity is concerned. However,
most instruments for monitoring seepage and dam movements are
not in good condition. While big earthquakes are rare in this
environment, differential settlement of the embankment is a
possibility. So far no instrument has been noted for recording the
same. Records indicating the monitoring of differential settlement
and loss of freeboard do not exist. The same is true for records
indicating internal and external deformations. There were some
piezometers for monitoring pore-water pressure uplift but these
instruments are either buried or they no longer function. The Vnotches for monitoring seepage need inspection otherwise it is
difficult to comment with certainty about their functionality. It is also
unknown whether stress-strain meters are available in both dams.
It is highly recommended to reinstall instruments that do not
function and to read them consistently. Dam surveillance is equally
recommended to ensure that the structures are maintained in a safe
and operational efficient state.
It has also been noted that dam safety regulations are not strict in
Malawi. As a result little or no attention is paid to mitigating risks
associated with dam breach. However, it is important to realize that
dams are hazardous structures that can cause catastrophic incidents
once dam breach occurs. It is therefore recommended that Lilongwe
11
Water Board develop an emergency plan for the two dams which
should precisely indicate areas and properties that may be affected
by the dam breach including cost estimates.
5.2 Water Treatment Facilities
Figure 3 Treatment Works
The utility has two treatment plants with a combined design capacity
of 95,000m3 a day. Treatment Works 1 (TW1) has a nominal design
capacity of 35,000m3 per day. Treatment Works (TW2) has a nominal
design capacity of 60,000m3 per day. It is considered at the moment
that TW2 is able to operate up 95% of its design capacity. TW1 on
the other hand, based on the flow measurements from the installed
flow meters at the station, is able to produce only up 1150m 3 per
hour translating into 27,600m3 per day of the design capacity of
35,000m3 a day. This represents 78.86% of total capacity.
It can thus be concluded that the current combined capacity of the
two plants at present is around 84,600m3 each day.
The capacity of the treatment plants is compared to the projected
demand over the next five years to assess adequacy.
2008
Averag
e
Deman
d
(m3/day
)
73,256
7 day
Peak
Deman
d
(m3/day
)
83,512
Yield
(m3/day
)
Combined
Capacity TW1
and 2
(m3/day)
Remarks
91863
84600
Inadequate
12
2009
77,523
88,377
97214
84600
Inadequate
2010
81,994
93,473
102820
84600
Inadequate
2011
86,473
98,579
108437
84600
Inadequate
2012
91025
103769
114146
84600
Inadequate
2013
95652
109044
119948
84600
Inadequate
5.3 Raw Water Pump Sets

The utility has 2 raw water pumping stations. TW1 Raw water
pumping station has 3 sections namely Section A with three
pumpsets, Section B with 3 pump sets, Section C with 4 pump sets.
TW2 Raw water section has 4 pump sets. Below is the inventory of
raw water pumpsets with their design pumping capacities.
Raw Water Station/Section
Name of Pump
TW1
RA1
Design Capacity
(m3/hour)
280
RA2
280
RA3
331
RB1
280
RB2
280
RB3
331
RC1
245
RC2
245
RC3
245
RC4
245
RE1
1616
RE2
1616
RE3
1616
RE4
1616
Section A
SectionB
Section C
TW2
The design capacities indicated above need to be assessed in

respect to projected demand and the performance of the treatment
works including the capacity and functionality of the raw water
reservoirs
Averag
e
Deman
d
7 day
Peak
Deman
d
Yield
(m3/da
y)
Require
d flow
(m3/hr)
Capacity(TW
1 and TW2
Raw Water
Stations)
13
Total
No of
Units
on
Standby
Capacity
(m3/hr)
Remark
s
2008
(m3/da
y)
73,715
(m3/da
y)
84035
4669
Stand
by
4
97985
4083
1586
Adequate
2009
78,015
88937
103700
4321
4669
1586
Adequate
2010
82,521
94074
2011
87,039
99224
109690
4570
4669
1586
Adequate
115695
4821
4669
1586
104460
121800
5075
4669
1586
109784
128008
5334
4669
1586
Inadequa
te
Inadequa
te
Inadequa
te
2012
91,631
2013
96,302
It can be seen from the table above that the design capacity for raw
water pumpsets will become inadequate by 2011.
The other important point to note about these pumpsets is that the
ones
operating
in
TW1
were
installed
in
1966.
Most
of
electromechanical facilities have a design life of 15 to 25 years.

These pumps have been in use for 42 years which is more than their
design life. Apart from the design life, it is equally important to note
that these pumps have very high operational costs in terms of down
time and maintenance costs. At the same time spare parts are no
longer available because of technological change. This means that
maintenance is almost impossible. Where possible the responsible
personnel improvise certain parts of the pumps to make sure that
they are put back to operations but definitely at very low efficiency
levels. Finally, it should be noted that these pumps are operating on
old principles which cannot achieve modern efficiency levels.
14
5.4 Service Reservoirs
Figure 4 Storage Reservoirs
The Board has 16 service reservoirs in different parts of the City. The
reservoirs serve the following purposes:
Equalizing supply and demand.
Increasing operating convenience
Leveling out pumping requirements
Decreasing power costs
Providing water during power source or pump failure.
Providing large quantities of water to meet fire demand
Providing surge relief.
Increasing detention times
Blending water sources.
Maintaining non degraded water quality
Providing reliable operation
Allow easy maintenance
It is important that demand is met at all times even during peaks during the
entire planning period. The water supply system should be able to satisfy
maximum anticipated water demand which normally occurs on a hot, dry ,
summer days when larger than normal amounts of water are used for personal
15
purposes, washing vehicles, equipment , cooling machines and watering gardens.

This normally happens between October and November for Lilongwe Water
Board. This therefore means that each reservoir should not be drained below the
minimum level enough to maintain minimum pressures in the distribution system
at peak flows during the entire operational life of the reservoir.
Literature recommends at least a storage time of 24 hours but indicates

that times will differ depending on utilities financial constraints and
acceptance that when storage time is lower accept the risk of having to
cut or curtail supplies temporarily in emergency.
The criteria adopted in the assessment of reservoirs is that storage for
each reservoir should be not less than 50% of the peak day demand (i.e.
not less than 12 hours).
At present, the exact number of customers or people that are supplied
from a particular reservoir is not known and as such it is important that
LWB carries out an exercise to map out the exact reservoirs where each
area is supplied from and set out boundary valves which should be kept
under lock and key. This would also prove important in the analysis of UFW.
Table 3.4 presents the detailed inventory of the Boards reservoirs.
Year of
Construction
1966
Capacity (m3)
Ditto
1972
9090
Mtunthama 3
Ditto
1978
4545
Mwenda 1
Area 1, 2, part of Area 7,

Area 8,
1966
2272
Mwenda 2
Ditto
1991
2000
Ngwenya
Area 24, Area 36
2007
1500
Tsabango
Part of Area 7, Area 17,

Area 21, 22, part of 23,
35
1978
4545
Area 23 Tower
Part of Area 23
1991
650
Area 9 Tower
1991
650
10
Chayamba
Area 9, part of Area 3,

Part of Area 47, Mchinji
Road
Part of Area 10, 11, 12
2000
12000
No
Reservoir
Areas supplied
Mtunthama 1
Area 3, 4, 5, 6,
13,14,15,18,20,32,33,40,
Mtunthama 2
16
2272
No
Reservoir
Areas supplied
Year of Construction
Capacity (m3)
11
Kanengo 1
1972
2272
12
Kanengo 2
Part of Area 25, 26, 27,

28, 29, 30, 43, part of
Area 10, 44, 49,50, 51,
56
Ditto
1978
4545
13
Kanengo 3
Ditto
1991
7500
14
Kanengo 4
Ditto
2000
10600
15
Sandula
Part of Area 53, 52, 54,

55, part of area 25
1978
4545
16
Lumbadzi Tower
Part of Area 53
1980
950
5.4.1
Tsabango Reservoirs
There are two reservoirs under Tsabango supply zone. Tsabango Reservoir
has capacity 4545m3 and Area 23 Tower 650m3 giving a total of storage of
5195m3 for the zone. The information available at present is that the
reservoirs serve areas 7, 22, 22, 23, 24,36 and part of 35. It seems that
Ngwenya reservoir commissioned late last year is also supplying some of
the areas mentioned above. This explains the importance for LWB as
mentioned above to carry our zoning.
As can be noted, current storage is about 34% reducing further to 26% by 2013.
Average
7 day Peak
Yield
Present
Demand
Demand
(m3/day
Capacity
storag
of
(m /day)
(m )
of
Acceptabl
Remarks
e Storage
Proposed
Capacity of
Reservoir
Reservoir
to meet up
(m )
to
2013
(m3)
200
12314
14038
15441
5195
34
50%
Additional Storage
8
200
12977
14793
16273
5195
32
50%
Required
Additional Storage
9
201
13663
15576
17134
5195
30
50%
Required
Additional Storage
0
201
14362
16373
18010
5195
29
50%
Required
Additional Storage
1
201
15077
17188
18907
5195
27
50%
Required
Additional Storage
2
201
15808
18021
19823
5195
26
50%
Required
Additional Storage
9911
Required
5.4.2
Ngwenya Reservoir
Ngwenya Zone currently supplies Areas 24, 36 and areas 38. Ngwenya
reservoir has storage capacity of 1500m 3. Just as the case with Tsabango
17
zone, the actual areas that are supplied from the zone need to be mapped
out and boundaries set. There is also information indicating that the zone
could also be serving some areas under Area 23 and 22.
Storage is about 28% reducing to 17% by 2013
Averag
e
Deman
d
(m3/da
y)
7 day
Peak
Deman
d (m3)
Yield
(m3/da
y)
% of
storag
e
Accepta
ble
Storage
5384
Presen
t
Capaci
ty of
Reserv
oir
(m3)
1500
2008
4294
4895
28
50%
2009
4736
5398
5938
1500
25
50%
2010
5222
5954
6549
1500
23
50%
2011
5758
6564
7221
1500
21
50%
2012
6317
7201
7921
1500
19
50%
2013
6918
7887
8675
1500
17
50%
5.4.3
Remarks
Additional
Required
Additional
Required
Additional
Required
Additional
Required
Additional
Required
Additional
Required
Proposed
Capacity
of
Reservoir
to meet up
to 2013
(m3)
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
4338
Mwenda Reservoirs
Mwenda has two storage reservoirs, one of capacity 2000m 3 and the other
one 2272m3. The tanks are interconnected such that the levels in the two
tanks balance. The total storage is 4272m3.
The reservoirs supply areas 1, 2, 8 and 37. Some information seems also
to indicate that parts of area 7 and 36 are supplied from Mwenda but this
needs to be verified. The reservoirs also serve as suction for the Mwenda
pumping station pumping to Ngwenya and Tsabango zone. Thus Mwenda
reservoirs have to satisfy demand for areas under Tsabango, Ngwenya
zones and the demand for areas under Mwenda zone itself.
Present storage is only 15% and reduces to 11% by 2013.
Averag
e
Deman
d
(m3/da
y)
7 day
Peak
Deman
d (m3)
Yield
(m3/da
y)
% of
storag
e
Accepta
ble
Storage
28379
Presen
t
Capaci
ty of
Reserv
oir
(m3)
4272
2008
6023
6866
15
50%
2009
6217
7087
30007
4272
14
50%
2010
6417
7316
31730
4272
13
50%
2011
6624
7551
33537
4272
13
50%
2012
6835
7792
35400
4272
12
50%
2013
7054
8041
37343
4272
11
50%
18
Remarks
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Proposed
Capacity of
Reservoir to
meet up to
2013 (m3)
18672
Required
5.4.4
Area 9 Tower
Area 9 Tower is of capacity 650m 3. The tower serves the areas surrounding
the tower in area 9, Area 47 sector 5 and some areas in Area 3. Proper
boundaries needs to be established in order to establish the right loading
for the tower. Present storage is 16% reducing to 12% by year 2013.
Averag
e
Deman
d
(m3/da
y)
7 day
Peak
Deman
d (m3)
Yield
(m3/da
y)
% of
storag
e
Accepta
ble
Storage
4032
Presen
t
Capaci
ty of
Reserv
oir
(m3)
650
2008
3216
3666
16
50%
2009
3394
3869
4256
650
15
50%
2010
3575
4075
4483
650
15
50%
2011
3759
4286
4714
650
14
50%
2012
3950
4502
4953
650
13
50%
2013
4149
4730
5203
650
12
50%
5.4.5
Remarks
Proposed
Capacity of
Reservoir to
meet up to
2013 (m3)
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
2601
Mtunthama Reservoirs
Mtunthama has 3 reservoirs. Tank 1 is of capacity 2272m3, Tank two 9090m3 and Tank
three 4545m3. The total storage at Mtunthama is 15907m3. Reservoir 3 serves as suction
for pumping to Area 9 Tower. The reservoirs serve the following areas: parts of area 3, 4,
5, 6, part of 11, part 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 32, 33,45,46, part of 47, 57 (Likuni) and
58(Chigwirizano). Areas 57 and 58 at the moment are still under Central Region Water
Board. The reservoirs at Mtunthama must satisfy demand under the area 9 zone as well
areas under Mtunthama zone.
Storage time is above 50% for the entire period of assessment therefore adequate.
Average
Demand
(m3/day
)
7 day
Peak
Deman
d (m3)
Yield
(m3/day
)
2008
16350
18639
24535
Present
Capacit
y of
Reservo
ir (m3)
15907
65
50%
Adequate
2009
17123
19520
25728
15907
62
50%
Adequate
2010
17928
20438
26964
15907
59
50%
Adequate
2011
18712
21332
28180
15907
56
50%
Adequate
2012
19524
22257
29435
15907
54
50%
Adequate
2013
20341
23189
30711
15907
52
50%
Adequate
19
% of
storage
Accepta
ble
Storage
Remark
s
5.4.6
Chayamba Reservoir
Chayamba reservoir is of capacity 12000m 3. The reservoir supplies the

following areas; part of 10, 11, and 12. The reservoir also acts as suction
for the pumping to Kanengo. So the storage at Chayamba must meet
demand at Kanengo and the demand under the Chayamba Zone.
Present storage time is about 31% and reduces to 23 % by 2013.
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3/da
y)
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
Yield
(m3/da
y)
% of
storag
e
Accepta
ble
Storage
38949
Presen
t
Capaci
ty of
Reserv
oir
(m3)
12000
2008
5030
5734
31
50%
2009
5129
5848
41479
12000
29
50%
2010
5230
5962
44126
12000
27
50%
2011
5331
6077
46720
12000
26
50%
2012
5433
6194
49310
12000
24
50%
2013
5536
6311
51894
12000
23
50%
Remarks
Proposed
Capacity of
Reservoir to
meet up to
2013 (m3)
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
Additional Storage
Required
25947
5.4.7 Kanengo Reservoirs

Kanengo has 4 reservoirs . Tank 1 is of capacity 2272m 3, tank number two
4545m3, tank number three 7500m 3 and tank number four 10600m 3. The
total storage at Kanengo is 24917m 3. Tank number 1 and number 2 are
maily supplied through the DN350 main and are used for distribution to
areas under the Kanengo Zone whilst tank number 3 and 4 are maily
supplied through the DN500 main and are mainly used for suction for
pumping to Sandula. There is a possibility of allowing the 500 line to
supply tank number 1 and 2 and also to balance the storage from reservoir
3 and 4 with that of 1 and 2.
The storage at Kanengo must satisy the demand within Kanengo Zone, the
Sandula zone as well as Lumbadzi tower Zone.
Present storage is above 50% during the entire assessment period.
Average
Demand
(m3/day)
7 day
Peak
Demand
(m3)
Yield
(m3/day
)
% of
storage
Acceptab
le
Storage
32642
Present
Capacit
y of
Reservo
ir (m3)
24917
2008
20130
22948
2009
21665
24698
2010
23272
2011
2012
76
50%
Adequate
35047
24917
71
50%
Adequate
26530
37568
24917
66
50%
Adequate
24853
28333
40035
24917
62
50%
Adequate
26446
30148
42497
24917
59
50%
Adequate
20
Remarks
2013
5.4.8
28047
31974
44952
24917
55
50%
Adequate
Sandula Reservoir
Sandula reservoir is of capacity 4545m 3. The reservoir serves part of area

25 and part of area 53 and Area 55. Additionally the reservoir provides
suction for pumping into the two storage for reservoirs belonging to
Airport Developments LTD (Area 52) and the Lumbadzi Tower. Therefore
storage at Sandula must satify demand under the Lumbadzi Tower and
Sandula Zone and the demand at the airport.
Present storage is above 50% but drops below 50% by 2012.
Average
Demand
(m3/day
)
2008
5422
6181
7399
Present
Capacit
y of
Reservo
ir (m3)
4545
2009
5772
6580
7879
4545
58
50%
Adequate
2010
6141
7001
8384
4545
54
50%
Adequate
2011
6491
7399
8869
4545
51
50%
Adequate
2012
6823
7778
9334
4545
49
50%
Inadequate
2013
7137
8136
9781
4545
46
50%
Inadequate
5.4.9
7 day
Peak
Deman
d (m3)
Yield
(m3/day
)
% of
storage
Acceptabl
e Storage
Remarks
61
50%
Adequate
Average
Demand
(m3/day
)
4891
Lumbadzi Tower
Lumbadzi Tower is of capacity 950m 3. The reservoir serves a small part of

area 53. Present storage time is about 158% since the area serves a
smaller area than intended in the design.
Average
Demand
(m3/day
)
7 day
Peak
Deman
d (m3)
Yield
(m3/day
)
2008
478
545
600
Present
Capacit
y of
Reservo
ir (m3)
950
% of
storage
Acceptabl
e Storage
Remark
s
158
50%
Adequate
2009
511
582
641
950
148
50%
Adequate
2010
545
622
684
950
139
50%
Adequate
2011
582
664
730
950
130
50%
Adequate
2012
621
708
779
950
122
50%
Adequate
2013
663
755
831
950
114
50%
Adequate
21
5.5 Transmission/Trunk Mains
Figure 5 Transmission Main
Transmission/trunk mains convey water in bulk from pumping stations to

service reservoirs. Trunk mains must carry the daily water quantity
required in each service reservoir. Although flow rates in trunk mains are
relatively constant due to the fact that variations in supply are met by the
service reservoirs trunk mains are designed to carry the 7 days peak
demand to be able to cope up with demand during the peak week.
The transmission mains between various pumping stations and service
reservoirs were assessed to check their adequacy in carrying out projected
flows to each service reservoir for the next 5 years. Each transmission
main line was assessed to check whether with the change in flows due to
increasing demand affects the velocity in the pipelines.
Maximum
allowable velocity in the transmission should not exceed 1m/s. Where the
velocity exceeds the maximum allowable upgrade of the main is proposed.
Table below is an inventory of the trunk mains for Lilongwe Water Board.
22
No.
Description
Size
Material
TW1 to Mwenda
225
AC
350
AC
400
AC
Mwenda to Tsabango
350
AC
Mwenda to Ngwenya
250
PVC
TW2 to Chayamba
800
DI
NBS to Kanengo
350
AC
525
AC
Kanengo to Sandula
300
AC
Lumbadzi Booster to Tower
200
AC
TW2 to Mtunthama
525
AC
Mtunthama to Area 9
300
AC
5.5.1
TW1 to Mwenda
There are two pumping mains originating from TW1 to Mwenda one of
which if DN 225 and the other one DN350. Another main of DN 400
branches off from the 350 main. At some points the DN 225 has been
uprooted. The equivalent diameter of the three mains is 578mm.
ear
Averag
e
Deman
d
(m3)
7 day
Peak
Deman
d (m3)
Yield
(m3)
flow/hr
(m3)
2008
22630
25799
28379
1182
Equivalent
carrying
Capacity of
the 3 mains
(400+350+
225) (m3/hr)
942
2009
23929
27279
30007
1250
942
2010
25303
28845
31730
1322
942
2011
26744
30489
33537
1397
942
2012
28230
32182
35400
1475
942
2013
29779
33948
37343
1556
942
23
Remarks
Recommend
ed size (mm)
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
adequate
647
Recommende
d Size to
suffice to
2013(mm)
665
684
703
722
742
800
The maximum carrying capacity of the 3 mains based on the allowable

velocity of 1m3/s is 942m3/ hour. The required flow is calculated to be
1182m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 1556m3/hour by 2013. This presents
a bottleneck.
5.5.2
Mwenda to Tsabango
The pumping main from Mwenda to Tsabango is of DN300mm. The main

conveys water to both Area 23 Tower and Tsabango reservoir. The main is
of Asbestos Cement material.
Year
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3)
12314
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
14038
Yield
(m3)
flow/
hr
(m3)
15441
643
Carrying
Capacity of
the DN350
main
(m3/hr)
346
200
9
12977
14793
16273
678
346
201
0
13663
15576
17133
714
346
201
1
14362
16373
18010
750
346
201
2
15077
17188
18907
788
346
201
3
15808
18021
19828
826
346
200
8
Remark
s
Recommend
ed size (mm)
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
477
Recommende
d Size to
suffice to
2013(mm)
490
502
515
528
540
600
The maximum carrying capacity of the DN 350 main based on the

allowable velocity of 1m3/s is 346m3/ hour. The required flow is calculated
to be 643m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 826m3/hour by 2013.
24
5.5.3
Mwenda to Ngwenya
The pumping main between Mwenda and Ngwenya is of diameter 250mm

and is made up of PVC.
Year
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3)
4294
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
4895
Yield
(m3)
flow/
hr
(m3)
5384
224
Carrying
Capacity of
the DN 250
main
(m3/hr)
177
200
9
4736
5398
5938
247
177
201
0
5222
5954
6549
273
177
201
1
5758
6564
7221
301
177
201
2
6317
7201
7921
330
177
201
3
6918
7887
8675
361
177
200
8
Remark
s
Recommen
ded size
(mm)
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
282
Recommended
Size to suffice
to 2013(mm)
296
311
326
342
358
400

to be 224m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 361m 3/hour by 2013. This
presents a serious bottleneck.
5.5.4
TW2 to Mtunthama
Mtunthama reservoirs are fed supplied through the DN525 pumping main
from TW2 which branches off from the DN800 to Chayamba. There are
also two mains from T1 that convey water to Mtunthama (350 and 275)
but most of the time are shut off allowing production from TW1 to entirely
go towards the Mwenda Zone.
Year
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
22305
Yield
(m3)
flow/h
r
(m3)
Carrying
Capacity of the
DN 525 main
(m3/hr)
Remark
s
Recommen
ded size
(mm)
2008
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3)
19566
24535
1022
707
601
2009
20517
23389
25728
1072
707
2010
21502
24513
26964
1124
707
2011
22472
25618
28180
1174
707
2012
23473
26759
29435
1226
707
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
25
616
630
644
659
Recommen
ded Size to
suffice to
2013(mm)
adequate
2013
24490
27919
30710
1280
707
In
adequate
673
700

to be1022m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 1280m 3/hour by 2013. This
presents a serious bottleneck.
5.5.5
Mtunthama to Area 9
The pumping main between Mtunthama and Area 9 Tower is of diameter

300mm of Asbestos Cement material.
Yea
r
2008
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3)
3216
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
3666
2009
3394
2010
Yield
(m3)
flow/
hr
(m3)
4032,276
168
Carrying
Capacity of
the DN 300
main
(m3/hr)
254
Remar
ks
Recommen
ded size
(mm)
adequate
244
3869
4255,712
177
254
adequate
250
3575
4075
4482,533
187
254
adequate
257
2011
3759
4286
4714,29
196
254
adequate
264
2012
3950
4502
4952,714
206
254
adequate
270
2013
4149
4730
5202,82
217
254
adequate
277
Recommend
ed Size to
suffice to
2013(mm)

to be168m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 217m 3/hour by 2013. This main
does not present a bottleneck.
5.5.6
TW2 to Chayamba
The pumping main between TW2 and Chayamba is of diameter 800mm

and comprises of Ductile Iron material.
Year
200
8
200
9
201
0
201
1
201
2
201
3
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3)
31220
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
35590
33078
37709
35188
40115
37257
42473
39323
44828
41383
47176
Yield
(m3)
flow/
hr
(m3)
Remark
s
Recommen
ded size
(mm)
1631
Carrying
Capacity of
the DN 800
main
(m3/hr)
1810
3914
9
4147
9
4412
6
4672
0
4931
0
5189
4
adequate
760
1728
1810
adequate
782
1839
1810
806
1947
1810
2055
1810
2162
1810
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
adequate
In
adequate
26
Recommen
ded Size to
suffice to
2013(mm)
830
852
874
900

to be 1631m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 2162m 3/hour by 2013. This
main presents a bottleneck from 2010.
5.5.7
NBS to Kanengo Trunk Mains
The are two pumping mains from Northern Booster Pumping Station to
Kanengo. The mains are of DN 525 and DN 350 and both of AC material.
The two mains run in parallel and are interconnected at different points.
The equivalent diameter for the two mains is 632mm.
Year
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3)
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
Yield
(m3)
flow/
hr
(m3)
2008
26190
29856
32841,87
1368
Equivalent
carrying
Capacity of
the 2 mains
(525+350)
(m3/hr)
1053
Remark
s
Recommen
ded size
(mm)
Inadequate
696
2009
27948
31861
35047,07
1460
1053
Inadequate
719
2010
29958
34153
37567,94
1565
1053
In adequate
744
2011
31926
36396
40035,28
1668
1053
In adequate
768
2012
33890
38634
42497,45
1771
1053
In adequate
791
2013
35847
40865
44951,91
1873
1053
In adequate
814
Recommen
ded Size to
suffice to
2013(mm)
800
The maximum carrying capacity of the DN 525 and DN 350 mains based
on the allowable velocity of 1m 3/s is 1053m3/ hour. The required flow is
calculated to be 1368m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 1873m 3/hour by
2013. This main presents a bottleneck.
5.5.8
Kanengo to Sandula
The pumping main between Kanengo and Sandula is of diameter 300mm

and made of Asbestos Cement material.
Yea
r
200
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3)
6060
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
6908
Yiel
d
(m3)
flow/
hr
(m3)
759
317
Carrying
Capacity of
the DN 300
main
(m3/hr)
254
27
Remark
s
Recommen
ded size
(mm)
Inadequ
335
Recommen
ded Size to
suffice to
2013(mm)
200
9
201
0
6283
7163
6686
7622
201
1
7073
201
2
201
3
ate
787
9
838
4
328
254
349
254
8063
886
9
370
254
7444
8486
933
4
389
254
7800
8892
978
1
408
254
Inadequ
ate
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
In
adequat
e
341
352
362
371
380
400

to be 317m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 408m3/hour by 2013. This main
presents a bottleneck.
5.5.9
Lumbadzi Booster to Lumbadzi Tower
The pumping main from Lumbadzi Booster Station to Lumbadzi Tower is of

200mm diameter comprising of AC material.
Year
Avera
ge
Dema
nd
(m3)
7 day
Peak
Dema
nd
(m3)
Yield
(m3)
flow/
hr
(m3)
Rema
rks
Recommen
ded size
(mm)
25
Carrying
Capacity
of the
main
(200)
(m3/hr)
113
2008
478
545
600
adequate
94
2009
511
582
641
26
113
adequate
97
2010
545
622
684
28
113
adequate
100
2011
582
664
730
30
113
adequate
104
2012
621
708
779
32
113
adequate
107
2013
663
755
831
35
113
adequate
111
Recommended
Size to suffice
to 2013(mm)

to be 25m3/hour in 2008 and will rise to 35m 3/hour by 2013. This main
does not presents a bottleneck.
28
5.6 High Lift Pumping Stations
Figure 6 TW1 Highlift Pump Station
The Board has 3 primary high lift pumping stations i.e. TW1, TW2 and
Bunda. These primary highlift stations pump either directly to service
reservoirs or to intermediate booster stations. There are 5 booster stations
namely Mtunthama, Northern Booster, Kanengo, Lumbadzi and Mwenda.
Below is the inventory of Lilongwe Water Boards pumping stations and the
associated pumping units.
High Lift Station
Name of
Pump
TW1
HA
Desig
n
Capac
ity
(m3/hr
)
396
HB1
HB2
HB3
HC1
HC2
HC3
HC4
HE1
HE2
HE3
HE4
Mwenda 1
Mwenda 2
245
550
550
274
274
274
274
1147
1147
1147
1147
248
248
Sectio
nA
Sectio
nB
Sectio
nC
TW2
Mwenda
29
Mwenda 3
Mwenda 4
Mtunthama
1
Mtunthama
2
Mtunthama
3
B1
B2
C1
C2
C3
Kanengo 1
Kanengo 2
Lumbadzi 1
Lumbadzi 2
Bunda 1
Bunda 2
Mtunthama
NBS
Sectio
nB
Sectio
nC
Kanengo
Lumbadzi
Bunda
248
243
248
248
396
245
245
1213
1213
1213
364
364
115
115
50
50
At each pumping station there is a need to ensure that each pump is

working efficiently and that the station is able to cope up with required
water demand. There is also need at each station to have adequate
standby capacity to allow continuity of supply at times when some of the
pumping units have to be isolated from the system for repairs.
Recommended standby is at least 50% of the required pumping capacity.
Pumps should be able to fill reservoirs in 22 hours (Q 22). The current
capacity of each pumping station was assessed against the projected
water
demand
up
to
2013
to
check
whether
the
recommended
requirements are satisfied.

5.6.1 TW 1 High Lift Station
TW1 High lift station pumps water to Mwenda (the Southern part of
Lilongwe City). The Station comprises of pump sets in three sections A, B
and C with different capacities. For the detailed current pumping
capacities and different combinations refer to table as appended.
Average
Demand
7 day
Peak
Demand
Yield
flow/hr
2008
22630
25798
28379
1182
Capacity(2
Pumps
Section B
and 2
pumps
Section C)
1403
2009
23929
27279
30007
1250
1403
30
No of
Units on
Standby
Standby
Capacity
Remarks
557
Adequate
557
Adequate
2010
25303
28845
31730
1322
1403
557
Adequate
2011
26744
30489
33537
1397
1403
557
Adequate
2012
28230
32182
35400
1475
1403
557
Inadequate
2013
29779
33948
37343
1556
1403
557
Inadequate
5.6.2 TW2 High Lift Station

TW2 High lift Station pumps water simultaneously both to Mtunthama and
Chayamba. The station comprises of 4 No. High lift pump sets each with a
design capacity of 1147m3/hour. Three pumps can be run simultaneously
with one pump serving as standby. The maximum achievable flow for the
three pumps is 2937m3/hour.
Average
Demand
M3/day
7 day
Peak
Demand
M3/day
Yield
M3/day
Flow
m3/hr
Capacit
y(3
Pumps
duty )
Standb
y
Capacit
y
Remarks
2937
No of
Units
on
Standb
y
1
2008
45596
51979
57177
2382
1124
Adequate
2009
48465
55250
60775
2532
2937
1124
Adequate
2010
51461
58666
64532
2688
2937
1124
Adequate
2011
54398
2012
57363
62014
68215
2842
2937
1124
Adequate
65393
71933
2997
2937
1124
68784
75663
3152
2937
1124
Inadequat
e
Inadequat
e
2013
60337
5.6.3 Mwenda Booster Station

Mwenda booster station pumps water to Tsabango low level reservoir, Area
23 Tower as well as the newly constructed Ngwenya reservoir. There are
four pump sets , 2 pumps are used for pumping to Tsabango and Area 23
Tower whilst the other pump serve Ngwenya. One pump set serve as stand
by for both Ngwenya and Tsabango.
At the moment, it is not possible to run three pumps silmutaneously
because of the cabling and fuse capacity as a result there are intermittent
shortfalls in water supply in Tsabango and Ngwenya zones.
Average
Demand
7 day
Peak
Demand
Yield
flow/hr
2008
16607
18933
20826
868
Capacity(2
Pumps
Section B
and 2
pumps
Section C)
570
2009
17712
20192
22211
925
2010
18886
21529
23682
987
31
No of
Units on
Standby
Standby
Capacity
Remarks
218
Inadequate
570
218
Inadequate
570
218
Inadequate
2011
20121
22938
25231
1051
570
218
Inadequate
2012
21394
24389
26828
1117
570
218
Inadequate
2013
22726
25907
28498
1187
570
218
Inadequate
5.6.4 Mtunthama Booster Station

Mtunthama Booster station comprises of 3 pump sets. There is one big
pump with a design flow of 396m 3/hr and Head 54m and two identical
smaller pumps with a design flow of 248m 3/hr and Head 54m. The mode of
operation is such that 2 pumps are on duty whilst one is on stand by.
Average
Demand
2008
3216
7 day
Peak
Demand
3666
2009
3394
2010
2011
Yield
flow/hr
Capacity
(400,350,225)
No of Units
on Standby
Standby
Capacity
Remarks
4032
168
514
232
Adequate
3869
4256
177
514
232
Adequate
3575
4075
4483
187
514
232
Adequate
3759
4286
4714
196
514
232
Adequate
2012
3950
4502
4953
206
514
232
Adequate
2013
4149
4730
5203
217
514
232
Adequate
5.6.5 Northern Booster Station

Northern Booster Station comprises of two sections. Section B which is
quite old has 2 pumps sets whilst section C which is relatively new, has 3
pump sets. The mode of operation is such that 2 pumps are on duty in
section C whilst one is on standby and one pump is on duty in section B
whilst one is on standby. Section B pumps through the 350mm main whilst
Section through the 525mm main.
Average
Demand
7 day
Peak
Demand
Yield
flow/hr
Capacity(2
Pumps
Section B
and 2
pumps
Section C)
2008
26030
29674
32642
1360
2188
No of
Units on
Standby (1
pump
section B
and 1
pump
Section C)
2
2009
27948
31861
35047
1460
2188
2010
29958
34153
37568
1565
2011
31926
36396
40035
1668
32
Standby
Capacity
Remarks
1195
Adequate
1195
Adequate
2188
1195
Adequate
2188
1195
Adequate
2012
33890
38634
42497
1771
2188
1195
Adequate
2013
35847
40865
44952
1873
2188
1195
Adequate
5.6.6
Kanengo Booster Station

Kanengo Booster station comprises of 2 pump sets of identical size. The
mode of operation is such that 1 pump is on duty whilst the other one is
on standby.
Average
Demand
2008
5900
7 day
Peak
Demand
6726
Yield
flow/hr
Capacity(1
pump)
7399
308
331
No of Units
on
Standby
1
Standby
Capacity
Remarks
324
Adequate
2009
6283
7163
7879
328
331
324
Adequate
2010
6686
7622
8384
349
331
324
Inadequate
2011
7073
8063
8869
370
331
324
Inadequate
2012
7444
8486
9334
389
331
324
Inadequate
2013
7800
8892
9781
408
331
324
Inadequate
5.6.7 Lumbadzi Booster Station

Lumbadzi Booster station comprises two pumps of identical size. The
mode of operation is such that 1 pump is on duty whilst the other one is
on standby.
Average
Demand
2008
478
7 day
Peak
Demand
545,4613
2009
511
2010
Yield
flow/hr
Capacity(1
pump)
600,0074
25,00031
74
No of
Units on
Standby
1
582,4735
640,7209
26,6967
74
545
621,7172
683,8889
28,49537
Standby
Capacity
Remarks
74
Adequate
74
Adequate
74
74
Adequate
2011
582
663,5249
729,8774
30,41156
74
74
Adequate
2012
621
708,0255
778,8281
32,45117
74
74
Adequate
2013
663
755,3193
830,8512
34,6188
74
74
Adequate
5.7 Distribution System

Transmission mains and distribution mains normally represent the largest
portion of the initial cost of a water system and are basically unseen upon
completion, so good design and construction of these facilities is
33
paramount to delivering a safe, adequate, reliable supply as economically

as possible. The major design factors are the size, type of materials, and
location of the facilities with respect to meeting the demands of the
customers within the service area.
Some Definitions
A transmission main (usually larger diameter pipe) is used to convey the
majority of flow from source, treatment, and/or storage facilities to the
distribution system. A transmission main, although it may have a small
number of service connections on it, is intended to deliver water to the
distribution mains where the majority of service connections are located.
A distribution main is the delivery system to individual customer service
lines and provides water for fire protection through fire hydrants, if
applicable.
5.7.1
Facility Sizing
Water system main sizing should consider a number of factors including

pumping costs, system demand, land use, friction losses, and flow
velocities. These factors are interrelated and their relative influences in
the selection of optimum piping arrangements should be recognized. As a
whole, transmission lines, distribution facilities, water sources, pumping
facilities, and storage facilities must be designed so that, in combination,
they will optimize the water system and, at a minimum, provide for the
demand conditions at pressures established in water supply standards,
anticipated at any given time in all parts of the system.
5.7.2
Sizing Procedures
Procedures for sizing distribution and transmission lines for water systems
have been established in many engineering textbooks, reference books,
and design manuals.
However, knowing that Lilongwe Water Boards
distribution systems are complex, ie there are normally more than two
loops in any given area, it is recommended to use computer modelling
34
facilities in the design. There are
many common computer software
packages available to readily aid in the design of complex systems. It is

expected that the design procedures used will be consistent with those
applied and accepted by the professional civil engineering discipline as
good engineering practice. The available software in Lilongwe Water Board
is Picolo. It should be pointed out that the way Picolo was installed lacks
integrity of modelling since it only allows extension of the existing
network. There is no facility of save as to anlyse the effect of the
concerned or proposed extension only.
5.7.3
Minimum Size
It is a common practice to determine the minimum size for a transmission

or distribution main by a hydraulic analysis. The hydraulic analysis needs
to address the parameters related to pressure head and demand. Mains
are generally sized with the ability to provide flow rates required to serve
the anticipated land use in that vicinity of the system as characterized in
the water system plan and the local land use plan. The minimum diameter
of all distribution mains is normally 63mm, unless justified by a hydraulic
analysis.
Any pipeline designed to provide fire flow must be at least
150mm for AC pipe and 160mm for PVC and PE in diameter.

Sizing mains using a hydraulic analysis must, at a minimum, consider two
demand scenarios. First, the system must be capable of delivering the
peak hourly demand (PHD) at the required pressure of 40m head at every
existing and proposed service connection. If fire flow is to be provided, the
distribution pipelines must also be capable of delivering the maximum day
demand (MDD) rate, in addition to the fire flow, at the required pressure of
30m head throughout the distribution system.
The required size for
mains is the largest determined by analyses of the two demand scenarios.
5.7.4
Peak Hourly Demand (PHD)
Distribution pipelines must be able to sufficiently deliver water to meet

peak customer demands (commonly defined as peak hourly demand) at
40m head at every existing and proposed service connection. (Note: This
35
was termed maximum instantaneous demand (MID). The peak hourly

demand (PHD) is the maximum rate of water use, excluding fire flow that
can be expected to occur within a defined service area over a continuous
sixty minute time period. If more than one pressure zone exists, each PHD
value needs to be calculated separately for each zone and analyzed
appropriately.
5.7.5
Fire Suppression Flow
Fire flow rate and duration requirements are determined by the local fire
control authority or the Public Water System Coordination Act, for systems
within the boundaries of a designated Critical Water Supply Service Area.
However, there are explicitly defined laws governing this at present. There
is need to work hand in hand with the city assembly to determine the
governing standards. The obvious thing is that fire needs for an industrial
area is different from a residential area.
5.7.6
Minimum Distribution System Pressure
The water system must be able to provide PHD at no less than 40m head
at all service connections throughout the distribution system (measured at
all existing and proposed service water meters or along property lines
adjacent to mains if no meter exists), except during fire flow conditions. To
address fire suppression events, the system must be able to provide 30m
head minimum pressure at ground level at all points along the pipeline
throughout the distribution system under fire flow conditions plus the
maximum day demand rate (MDD-rate). The MDD is determined for the
area served by those particular mains and converted to a flow rate (the
MDD-rate) in litres per second or cubic metres per minute. (The maximum
daily demand divided by 1440 minutes will give the MDD-rate.)
Transmission mains with no service connections must be designed to
maintain greater than or equal to 10m head except when directly adjacent
to storage tanks.
36
Individual service booster pumps may be used as an interim solution for

providing minimum design pressure but are not considered to be
acceptable as a permanent design feature.
5.7.7
Maximum Velocity
The Water Distribution Handbook recommends that the design of

distribution mains not exceed a maximum velocity of 2.5m per second
under
PHD
conditions,
unless
otherwise
specified
by
the
pipe
manufacturer. Maximum velocities of greater than 2.5m per second may

occur under fire flow conditions, for short sections of mains, or for piping
within pump and valve station facilities.
Long sections of mains with
higher velocities should be checked for transient (water hammer)

conditions. .
5.7.8
Excess Pressure
The type of pipe used and the pressure needs of the system are significant
factors to take into consideration when designing a water main. Excessive
pressure in a system can lead to wasted water by customers and increase
the risk of pipe failure.
Pressure in the distribution system should not
exceed 150m head, unless the design engineer can justify the need for the
excessive pressure (reduce pumping costs, fire flow reliability, etc.), and
verify that the pipe material is appropriate for this use.
5.7.9
Surge and Transient Control
Hydraulic surges and transients (water hammer) are dependent on a

number of factors, including main size, length, profile and materials of
construction. Analysis of pressure transients should be incorporated in the
design of the distribution system .Pipe pressure tests and thrust restraint
should be based on the maximum transient conditions, including an
appropriate factor of safety.
There are a variety of ways to provide surge control.
Methods include
open surge tanks, pressurized surge tanks, surge anticipator valves,

37
vacuum relief valves, regulated air release valves, optimizing main size
and alignment, electric soft start/stop and variable speed drives for
pumps, electric interlocks to prevent more than one pump from starting at
the same time, slow opening and closing valves, and increasing the polar
moment of inertia of the rotating pump/motor assembly.
Reliability of the surge protection facility is important. Where appropriate,
redundancy should be provided for essential equipment such as vacuum
relief valves.
Adequate alarms should be provided on surge tanks and
similar components to give operators early warning. Consideration should

be given to preventing the pumping system from operating if the surge
protection facilities are not operable.
5.7.10 Computer Modelling

A computer model is not necessarily an exact representation of all pipes in
the distribution system. For large systems in particular, simplification of
the system is important for reducing time needed to obtain and code data,
and run the hydraulic analysis. Furthermore, some computer models are
capable of only handling a maximum number of pipes.
Methods of
reducing the size of the system to model include:

1. Consider only pipes above a certain size;
2. Eliminate tree type pipe regions in the system;
3. Replace series and parallel pipes with single equivalent pipes; and
4. Analyze distinct separate pressure zones separately.
In all cases, the demands to the regions not modeled can be shown at
nodes (junctions) leading to the region eliminated.
5.7.11 Inventory of Lilongwe Water Boards Distribution System

38
The table below indicates the distribution system in different areas

grouped according to zones.
Name of
Zone
Name of Area
Diameter(mm)
Northern
Zone
Area 25
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Material
Type
Class
25
GI
50
GI
63
PVC
90
PVC
100
AC
110
PVC
12
150
AC
160
PVC
12
200
250
AC
AC
C
B
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
160
PVC
10
Subtotal for Area 25

Area 26
Name of Area
installation
780.00
1,126.0
0
18,661.7
0
2,020.0
0
24,086.0
0
12,763.5
0
6,818.0
0
12,011.0
0
4,331.0
0
992.00
38,789.4
0
18,761.9
3
4,238.7
0
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1977
1/1/1984
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
144,599.23
25
GI
NA
50
63
GI
PVC
NA
6
100
AC
99.00
1,304.0
0
124.00
5,159.0
0
1/1/1969
1/1/1969
1/1/1969
1/1/1969
6,686.0
0
1,708.0
0

Sub total for Area
27
Name of
Zone
Date of
Pipe Discription
39
Length
in (m)
Date of
Diameter(mm)
Area 28
Material
Type
Class
100
AC
110
150
PVC
AC
12
C
25
63
GI
PVC
NA
6
100
110
AC
PVC
B
12
150
AC
12
200
300
400
AC
AC
AC
C
C
D
Name of
Zone
20
GI
50
GI
63
PVC
100
AC
602.00
102.00
3,381.0
0
770.00
8,654.0
0
3,261.0
0
31.00
962.00
19.00
2,745.0
0
1,139.0
0
9,488.0
0
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
13,391.0
0

Area 39 awaiting
field survey
N/A
N/A
N/A
Area 48 awaiting
field survey
Area 49
N/A
25
N/A
GI
N/A
63
PVC
10
63
PVC
10
100
AC
110
PVC
10
Name of Area
1/1/1994
1/1/1972
17,763.0
0
Area 30
1/1/1972
10,779.0
0

Area 29
installation
3,719.0
0
6,499.0
0
561.00
40
Material
N/A
135.00
4,792.1
1
1,628.8
0
12,538.2
4
1,694.7
0
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
N/A
Class
N/A
N/A
1/1/2001
1/1/1984
1/1/2007
1/1/1990
1/12007
Date of
installation
Type
150
63
160
AC
PVC
PVC
B
10
10
32
PVC
63
110
PVC
PVC
10
10
160
PVC
12
90
100
PVC
AC
10
B
50
150
GI
AC
200
AC
250
AC
25
GI
32
40
50
PVC
GI
GI
63
PVC
110
150
PVC
AC
12
B
160
PVC
12
200
63
90
AC
PVC
PVC
C
10
10
110
PVC
10
200
Sub total for Area
53
PVC
10
Sub total for Area

49
Area 50
Sub total for Area

50
Area 51
Sub total for Area
51
Area 52
Sub total for Area

52
Area 53
Name of
Zone
Name of Area
Diameter(mm)
41
444.00
1,600.4
3
49.00
49.10
24,189.9
5
24,571.7
6
354.20
7,454.2
1
1,346.0
0
855.10
37.00
1,226.5
0
3,107.7
9
63,191.6
1
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Material
Type
3,437.2
5
913.95
650.81
25,790.8
6
3,566.4
2
4,527.2
9
667.71
6,232.5
0
14,993.9
2
338.57
924.43
1,263.0
0
3,638.5
0
61.00
5,343.0
5
13,408.1
5
22,450.7
0
Class
1/1/1984
1/1/2008
1/1/2008
1/1/2006
1/1/2006
1/1/2006
1/1/2006
1/1/2005
1/1/2005
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1984
1/1/1980
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
Date of
installation
Area 54
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Area 55
110
PVC
12
1,859.0
0
Area 56
32
HDPE
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
160
PVC
10
Sub total for Area

56
Area 3
Name of Area
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
343,579.0
3
25
GI
50
GI
63
PVC
100
110
AC
PVC
B
12
150
AC
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
87.00
3,009.0
0
1,098.0
0
6,342.0
0
117.40
1,007.0
0
1,763.8
7
1,140.6
0
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1980
1/1/1977
1/1/2004
1/1/1960
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
14,564.8
7
Sub total for Area 3
Name of
Zone
1/1/2003
27,517.7
2
Grand total for NZ

Central Zone
3,650.8
4
12,053.5
5
6,044.2
2
5,769.1
1
N/A
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
42
Material
Type
Class
Date of
installation
Area 4
50
63
GI
PVC
100
AC
110
150
PVC
AC
10
B
50
63
GI
PVC
10
63
PVC
10
110
100
110
110
PVC
AC
PVC
PVC
10
B
10
10
25
50
GI
GI
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
100
AC
160
PVC
10

Area 5
Area 6
Name of
Zone
Name of Area
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
21.50
477.00
1,498.8
1
1,963.1
6
375.10
740.80
180.70
5,257.0
7
1/1/1995
1/1/1995
150.40
334.22
7,867.1
0
1,890.6
2
1,310.9
6
1,650.1
1
1/1/1995
1/1/1993
1/1/2006
1/1/2004
1/1/2003
1/1/2004
1/1/2007
1/1/1990
1/1/1997
1/1/1990
1/1/1997
13,203.4
1
Area 9
1,906.0
0
94.60
4,469.0
0
3,326.0
0
767.00
10,562.6
0
63
PVC
75
AC
100
AC
110
PVC
12
150
AC
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
160
43
Material
Type
PVC
9,160.0
0
1,566.0
0
5,889.0
0
2,351.0
0
6,078.0
0
Class
16
1,240.0
1/1/1987
1/1/1987
1/1/1987
1/1/1987
1/1/1987
Date of
installation
1/1/1987
200
300
AC
AC
B
C
63
100
PVC
AC
6
B
110
PVC
12
150
AC
160
200
PVC
AC
16
C
315
PVC
500
AC
Sub total for Area

10
Area 11
Name of
Zone
Name of Area
152.00
542.00
14,386.0
0
2,677.0
0
4,516.0
0
836.00
1,943.0
0
1,000.0
0
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1970
1/1/1970
1/1/1970
1/1/1970
1/1/1970
26,052.0
0
32
PVC
63
PVC
100
AC
110
150
160
PVC
AC
PVC
10
B
10
160
PVC
10
32
50
PVC
GI
100
110
AC
PVC
B
12
150
AC
Sub total for Area

11
Area 12
1/1/1987
1/1/1987
26,477.5
0
Area 10
0
119.50
74.00
Diameter(mm)
160
44
1/1/1972
75.00
252.00
10,325.0
0
614.00
5,266.0
0
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Material
Type
PVC
91.00
1,566.0
0
1,017.0
0
3,048.0
0
177.00
110.00
1,753.9
0
7,762.9
0
Class
12
3,217.0
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
Date of
installation
1/1/1972
225
PVC
16
Sub total for Area

12
Additional
measured Length
25
50
63
GI
GI
PVC
10
100
110
AC
PVC
B
12
150
AC
200
225
AC
PVC
C
16
Sub total for Area

13
Area 14
50
GI
63
100
PVC
AC
10
B
110
225
PVC
PVC
12
16
Name of Area
Area 16
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
56.00
2,499.0
0
688.00
5,517.0
0
928.00
1/1/1990
1/1/1990
1/1/1990
1/1/1990
1/1/1989
9,688.0
0
100
150
300
AC
AC
AC
B
B
C
Sub total for Area

15
Name of
Zone
775.00
275.00
164.00
2,662.0
0
460.00
1,383.0
0
1,130.0
0
282.00
7,131.0
0
Sub total for Area

14
Area 15
1/1/1972
20,088.0
0
7,116.0
0
27,204.0
0
TOTAL
Area 13
0
339.00
5,980.0
0
162.00
31.00
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
6,173.0
0
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
63
100
150
Material
Type
PVC
AC
AC
45
Class
10
B
B
75.00
1,930.0
0
88.00
Date of
installation
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
Sub total for Area

16
Area 18
2,093.0
0
32
PVC
63
90
PVC
PVC
10
10
100
110
AC
PVC
B
12
150
AC
160
200
315
PVC
AC
PVC
12
C
16
Sub total for Area

18
Area 19
Name of
Zone
Name of Area
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
36,951.0
0
100
AC
150
200
225
AC
AC
PVC
B
C
12
Sub total for Area

19
Area 20
256.00
17,095.0
0
881.00
9,171.0
0
794.00
6,874.0
0
1,771.0
0
78.00
31.00
891.00
1,327.0
0
106.00
546.00
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
2,870.0
0
50
63
75
100
110
GI
PVC
AC
AC
AC
10
B
B
12
150
160
315
500
AC
PVC
PVC
AC
B
12
16
D
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
800
Sub total for Area

20
Material
Type
DI
267.00
171.00
111.00
372.00
47.00
1,294.0
0
305.00
18.00
67.00
Class
30.00
2,682.0
0
46
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
Date of
installation
1/1/1972
Area 32
50
63
90
GI
PVC
PVC
10
10
110
PVC
12
150
AC
Sub total for Area

32
Area 33
25
40
50
GI
GI
GI
63
100
PVC
AC
10
B
110
150
PVC
AC
12
B
160
PVC
16
Name of Area
50
63
GI
PVC
100
110
150
200
225
AC
PVC
AC
AC
PVC
B
12
B
B
12
500
AC
330.55
100.06
16.05
1,700.9
1
17.25
2,394.2
5
935.54
1,130.3
2
Material
Type
Class
32
HDPE
63
90
PVC
PVC
10
10
110
160
PVC
PVC
10
10
47
200.00
70.00
3,739.0
0
167.00
29.00
339.00
369.00
1,748.0
0
6,661.0
0
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
Area 41
1/1/1990
1/1/1995
1/1/1985
1/1/1985
1/1/1985
1/1/1985
1/1/1969
1/1/1985
1/1/1985
1/1/1985
6,624.9
3
Sub total for Area

40
Name of
Zone
1/1/1990
1/1/1990
1/1/1990
3,376.0
0
Sub total for Area

33
Area 40
12.00
839.00
335.00
1,190.0
0
1,000.0
0
1/1/1975
1/1/1975
1/1/1995
1/1/2003
1/1/1990
1/1/1975
1/1/2000
1/1/2000
Date of
installation
2,448.5
0
1,798.3
9
402.06
1,897.1
9
2,215.5
1/1/2005
1/1/2005
1/1/2005
1/1/2002
1/1/2002
4
Sub total for Area
41
Area 43
8,761.6
8
100
AC
110
PVC
10
150
AC
160
PVC
10
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
Sub total for Area

43
Area 46
Name of Area
Area 47
1/1/1980
1/1/1980
1/1/1997
1/1/1997
1/1/2008
1/1/2008
30,185.2
8
20
GI
25
GI
32
40
50
PVC
GI
GI
10
63
100
PVC
AC
10
B
110
PVC
12
160
PVC
12
300
AC
90
PVC
10
160
PVC
10
Sub total for Area

46
Name of
Zone
5,755.0
0
4,436.0
0
4,038.0
0
1,539.0
0
3,585.4
0
2,070.2
0
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
32
63
Material
Type
PVC
PVC
Class
6
10
100
AC
110
PVC
12
150
160
AC
PVC
B
12
48
65.00
2,944.0
0
3,013.0
0
439.00
860.00
15,356.0
0
904.00
1,026.0
0
25,878.0
0
1,220.0
0
2,174.0
0
1,460.1
0
55,274.1
0
55.00
622.00
6,966.0
0
17,201.0
0
6,985.0
0
4,227.0
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1993
1/1/1993
1/1/1977
1/1/2002
1/1/1993
1/1/1977
1/1/2006
1/1/2006
Date of
installation
1/1/1973
1/1/1984
1/1/1985
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1993
200
AC
63
PVC
10
110
210
PVC
PVC
10
10
Sub total for Area

47
Grand total for
Central Zone
Southern
Zone
Area 1
Name of Area
Area 2
1/1/1984
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
35,903.4
0
333,676.4
3
20
25
32
40
GI
GI
PVC
GI
50
GI
63
PVC
10
100
AC
110
PVC
12
150
160
200
225
AC
PVC
AC
PVC
B
12
B
12
250
AC
539.00
889.00
183.00
392.00
4,634.0
0
5,924.0
0
7,803.0
0
5,266.0
0
2,632.0
0
600.00
350.00
752.00
2,056.0
0
1/1/1955
1/1/1955
1/1/1955
1/1/1963
1/1/1958
1/1/1990
1/1/1955
1/1/1987
1/1/1982
1/1/2004
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1963
32,020.0
0
1,900.0
0
33,920.0
0

Additional total for
Area 1
Name of
Zone
0
980.00
3,389.3
0
3,009.1
0
112.00
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
63
Material
Type
PVC
Class
110
160
PVC
PVC
50
GI
63
PVC
10
75
AC
49
165.60
1,093.6
9
597.83
1,625.0
0
1,690.0
0
2,560.0
0
Date of
installation
1/1/2005
1/1/2005
1/1/2005
1/1/1963
1/1/1968
1/1/1955
100
AC
110
PVC
12
150
AC
110
PVC
10
20
25
40
50
GI
GI
GI
GI
63
PVC
10
75
AC
100
AC
110
PVC
12
150
AC
200
AC
220
PVC
63
PVC
10
25
32
50
GI
PVC
GI
63
PVC
10
75
AC

Area 7
Area 8
Name of
Zone
Name of Area
Diameter(mm)
AC
PVC
B
12
150
AC
160
PVC
12
200
350
AC
AC
B
C
50
1/1/1986
1/1/1986
1/1/2008
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
304.00
56.00
317.00
5,317.0
0
1,486.0
0
1/1/1978
1/1/1978
1/1/1978
Class
100
110
1/1/1963
274.00
324.00
57.00
8.00
4,032.0
0
1,056.0
0
12,664.0
0
1,485.0
0
2,353.0
0
6,106.0
0
1,471.0
0
2,076.8
0
31,906.8
0
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Material
Type
5,439.0
0
2,981.0
0
5,028.0
0
1,756.6
0
22,936.7
2
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1985
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/2008
1/1/1978
1/1/1978
Date of
installation
7,336.0
0
983.00
3,255.0
0
2,490.0
0
2,408.0
0
323.00
1/1/1978
1/1/1978
1/1/1978
1/1/1978
1/1/1978
1/1/1978
Sub total for Area

8
24,275.0
0
Area 17
50
GI
29.00
Area 21
25
32
50
GI
PVC
GI
63
PVC
10
100
AC
110
PVC
12
150
AC
160
200
300
PVC
AC
AC
12
B
C
Sub total for Area

21
Additional length for
Area 21
Total Area for Area
21
Area 22
Name of
Zone
Name of Area
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
1/1/1977
24,707.0
0
27,514.0
0
52,221.0
0
25
40
GI
GI
50
63
100
GI
PVC
AC
10
B
110
PVC
10
150
AC
Material
Type
Class
63
PVC
10
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
160
PVC
10
Sub total for Area

22
51
584.00
329.00
1,312.0
0
565.00
52.00
5,077.0
0
2,408.0
0
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
Area 22B
1,581.0
0
625.00
634.00
1,959.0
0
13,211.0
0
1,327.0
0
2,414.0
0
1,986.0
0
811.00
159.00
1/1/1978
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
Date of
installation
1,286.3
7
7,586.0
2
1,059.9
0
1,614.4
0
21,873.6
9
1/1/2006
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
Area 23
25
50
63
GI
GI
PVC
10
100
110
AC
PVC
B
12
150
AC
200
AC
300
350
AC
AC
C
C
110
PVC
10
25
50
GI
GI
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
160
PVC
10
Sub total for Area

23
Area 24
Sub total for Area

24
Area 34
Name of Area
32
PVC
150
AC
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/2007
1/1/1997
1/1/1997
1/1/1997
1/1/1997
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
374.00
1,560.0
0
1/1/1995
1/1/1995
1,934.0
0
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Diameter(mm)
Area 35
3,017.0
0
218.00
2,706.0
0
2,146.0
0
7,332.5
0
5,159.4
0
3,046.6
0
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
1/1/1984
17,684.5
0
Sub total for Area

34
Name of
Zone
4,862.0
0
195.00
136.00
13,938.0
0
874.00
5,455.0
0
1,081.0
0
2,075.0
0
327.00
2,551.1
7
31,494.1
7
Material
Type
Class
25
40
GI
GI
50
GI
63
PVC
100
110
AC
PVC
B
12
52
Date of
installation
664.00
62.00
1,592.0
0
7,588.0
0
6,201.0
0
570.00
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
150
AC
160
PVC
16
Sub total for Area

35
Area 36
Name of
Zone
Name of Area
1/1/1972
1/1/1972
26,660.0
0
32
PVC
25
GI
50
GI
63
100
PVC
AC
10
B
110
PVC
12
150
AC
160
110
63
PVC
PVC
PVC
16
10
10
63
PVC
10
32
PVC
Sub total for Area

36
Area 37
8,182.0
0
1,801.0
0
Diameter(mm)
40
769.00
1/1/1988
Class
50
GI
63
75
PVC
AC
6
B
100
AC
110
PVC
12
Sub total for Area

37
1/1/1994
Length
in (m)
Pipe Discription
Material
Type
GI
309.88
1,075.3
4
1,001.8
2
8,040.0
0
503.00
7,190.0
0
1,794.0
0
5,253.0
0
863.40
723.00
11,278.3
3
38,031.7
7
695.00
1,197.0
0
1,258.0
0
313.00
1,798.0
0
2,240.0
0
8,270.0
0
Area 44
53
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
1/1/1994
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2006
Date of
installation
1/1/1988
1/1/1988
1/1/1988
1/1/1988
1/1/1988
1/1/1990
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
160
32
50
PVC
HDPE
GI
10
10
10
63
PVC
10
110
PVC
10
150
DI
13,323.9
2
10,255.4
1
1,179.0
7
776.50
450.20
2,987.1
1
3,992.7
0
2,070.2
5
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2007
1/1/2005
1/1/2005
1/1/1973
1/1/1973
1/1/1973
35,035.1
6
Sub total Area 44
It is clear from the inventory that some of the distribution mains were laid
in 1960s. They are close to 50years now. These mains have lived more
than their design life. It is therefore recommended that such old mains
should be replaced. Continuous modeling is needed to determine those
mains which are not of right class according to existing pressures. They
too need to be replaced. There are also some mains which were
undersized. They may need duplication to ascertain certain pressures and
head according to customer needs.
5.8 Current State of Assets
5.8.1 Dams
Previous studies by consultants indicate that the structural integrity
for both reservoirs i.e. Kamuzu Dam 1 and 2 is fine and failure is not
expected unless under extraordinary conditions.
Reservoir capacities for both dams do not have a direct influence on
the amount of water that can be abstracted at water works because
some of the water comes from Likuni and Litsungwe Streams. Unless
these two streams can run dry and that water recharge downstream
the two reservoirs becomes effectively zero Lilongwe Water Board
has surplus water for abstraction over reservoir capacities.
54
Safe yield for the two reservoirs together is estimated to be

86,000m3 per day. However this figure is indicating the worst
scenario that can take place if history can repeat itself in terms of
statistical data. When conditions are favourable the utility
can
sustain its production for short term planning. However it is still

advisable to develop a new water source for long term demand
satisfaction
Figure 7 Kamuzu Dam 2-Water Source not adequate
5.8.2 Pumping Stations

Most of the pump stations both for the treatment works and booster
stations do not operate as designed. Design reports indicate
existence of standby pumps which were put into operation long time
ago without replacement. These pumps were put into operation after
break down of operating pumps or observing a malfunction on them.
At the time of preparing this plan heavy leakage was noted in the
raw lift pump station of TW2. One pump was removed from
operation. An interview with the pump operator revealed that spare
parts were not available.
55
Figure 8 Pen Hall for TW2 Raw Water Pump after breakdown
In TW1 most pumps have been in operation for more than their design life.
Operational and maintenance costs are very high. Spare parts are very
scarce. Some of these pumps were installed in 1966 and have not been
replaced ever since. Interviews with the Electromechanical Superintendent
revealed that some of these pumps were procured in India and that
records indicating their design parameters are not available. When such
pumps break down, the responsible section uses available skills to
improvise certain parts just to ensure that the plant runs
Figure 9 TW1 Pump sets under repairing process
56
The pumps at Mwenda are relatively in good condition even though

minor leakages were observed. However, it was noted that the two
pumps were utilized to pump water to both Area 23 (Ground tank
and Tower use one line) and Gwenya in Area 24. Interviews with
operators revealed that Ngwenya Tank is almost dry most of the
times. It was also noted that Chikungu Tank Construction
was
underway without proper analysis of the functionality of the pumps

and draw down of Mwenda Reservoirs
The pumps at Mtunthama were reported to be operating well. No
down time was reported. There are three pumps, one bigger than the
remaining two. At the time of field visit only the bigger pump was in
operation.
The pumps at Northern Booster Station were reported to be in
relatively good condition
5.9 Summary of Critical Gaps/ Shortfalls according to State of
Assets
This section presents the critical shortfalls identified from the situational
analysis that would affect provision of water up to 2014. In order to ensure
continued supply of wholesome water up to 2014 these shortfalls have to
be addressed during the indicated times.
Raw Water Sources
The present raw water storage from the dams can only last up to 4.9
months at the 2008 abstraction rates and reducing to 3.7 in year
2013. This could cause a serious problem in situations where the
onset of the rains is delayed and the dry period is prolonged.
Raw Water pollution between the dams and the water intake
resulting in high treatment costs to make the water potable. This is
especially true where Lilongwe River approaches the city where
urbanization takes place.
Treatment Plants
57
With increase in average production from 73 256 in 2008 to 95 652 by

2013, the Water Treatment plants are not able to cope up with projected
peak production from 2009. This is so because of the following reasons
among others:
TW1 is not able to operate at its design capacity of 35,000m 3/day
due to the following defects amongst others:
a) The plant has higher water losses, as the penstocks and valves
do not close any more.
b) Concrete structures (tanks) are leaking.
c) Dosing equipment is heavily corroded.
d) Line D has a process deficiency. It misses a flash mixer and the
umbrella type sludge blanket system does not function. The
primary cause seems to be the flash mixer. Apparently the
umbrella technology is not capable of coping with high
turbidity and silt load.
e) The settling tank of line D has slightly tilted due to differential
settlement of the foundation.
f) The chemical plant is in bad condition too.
Service Reservoirs
Available Storage for most of the reservoirs is below 50% which presents a
problem to meet peak demand and also low pressures in some areas as
the minimum level of water in the reservoir cannot be sustained. It should
also be noted that storage capacity directly affects the pumping strategy
and energy management. Where storage capacity is inadequate pumps
have to operate full time to make up for any draw down. This set up
implies that it may not be possible to take advantage of a situation when
there is low energy demand in the energy supply system (off peak times).
In particular critical shortfall in storage capacities are in the following
areas;
Area 23 Tower and Tsabango Reservoir have presently have 34%

storage which is going to drop to 26% by 2013
58
Storage at Mwenda is at 15% at present and its going to decrease to

11% by 2013. This presents an operational problem because
Mwenda reservoirs also act as sumps for pumping to Ngwenya,
Tsabango and Chikungu which is currently under construction, whilst
at the same time providing distribution to a number of areas
including 1,2, 7, 8, 22 and 36. The water level in the reservoirs have
to be maintained above 3m for effective pumping to Tsabango,
Ngwenya and Chikungu.
Ngwenya has a storage of 28%.
Chayamba storage stands at 31% at present and its going to drop to

23% by 2013. Chayamba provides storage for pumping to Kanengo
as well as distribution to areas 10, 11 and 12.
Area 9 Tower is inadequate.
Sandula Reservoir is inadequate.
Unknown demand under each supply reservoir due to poor zoning.
There are some service reservoirs which require rehabilitation and

installation of instrumentation to reduce cases of tank overflows that
contribute to high levels of non-revenue water like Area 23 Tower,
Mwenda 1, Mthunthama 1 and 3, Area 9, Kanengo 1, 2, 3 and 4, and
Sandula.
Leakage of some reservoirs which require sealing e.g. Kanengo Tank

Number 1
59
Figure 10 Kanengo Reservoir

Leakage
Transmission Mains
The following problems have been noted in relation to transmission/trunk
mains:
The DN 225 AC, 400AC and DN 350 AC mains from TW1 to Mwenda
are a bottleneck. Furthermore the DN225 is not continuous in some
parts. The DN 400 main is quite old and fails frequently.
The DN 350 AC main from Mwenda to Tsabango presents a

bottleneck. Besides this, the main is quite old and frequently
breaks down. It is also the only main to Tsabango and presents
operational problems there are failures.
The DN 250 PVC main from Mwenda to Ngwenya presents a

bottleneck.
The DN 525 from TW2 to Mtunthama presents a bottleneck.
The DN 800 from TW2 to Chayamba presents a bottleneck from the

year 2010.
The DN 525 and 350 AC Mains from NBS to Kanengo present a

bottleneck
The DN 300 AC main from Kanengo to Sandula presents a bottleneck
Pumping Stations
The following shortfalls have been noted on high lifts pumps sets:
60
Mwenda
Mwenda Booster station is a bottleneck. The cabling and the
transformer are not able to cope up with the simultaneous pumping
to Ngwenya as well as Tsabango.

Pumpsets at Mwenda are old and small, there is need to uprate the
pumps in order to meet demand (present capacity 570m3/ hour but
required capacity 868m3/hour. The problems at Mwenda need to be
urgently addressed in order to ensure continued supply of water to
the areas in Southern Zone.
TW1Pumping Station
TW1 presents no bottleneck at present but from 2012 onwards. This
is also when the required flow per day (i.e.35400m 3) exceeds the
design capacity of the plant (35000m 3). Present problems are related
to carrying out repairs and rearranging the piping at the station to
increase flow capacity.

Most of the pumpsets are old and their efficiency has dropped and
require rehabilitation
TW2 Pumping Station

TW2 highlift pump sets present no bottleneck until 2012 when the
combination of 3 pumps in not able to meet the total required flow
as of 2012.
Kanengo Pumping Station
Kanengo Booster station is not a bottleneck at present until 2010
when water demand exceeds the capacity of one pump. There is a
need to carry out trials to confirm
whether 2 pumps can be run
simultaneously. There is also enough room in the station where an

additional 3rd pump could be installed to have two pumps on duty
and one on standby which would address the capacity problem
beyond 2013.
Distribution Mains
The following were noted;
Some distribution mains were laid in 1960s. These mains have been
in operation for more than their design life. They have developed
61
high frictional factors and, fatigue. High frictional factors imply that
they deliver water at lower pressures than the design pressure since
a lot of energy is wasted due to friction. Fatigue implies that the
pipes can break with slight variation in forces. These mains have
also become inadequate due to demographic changes over the past
40 to 49 years. There is need for overhaul replacement of these
mains.
Some mains were laid using AC pipes which are seldom found with
suppliers today. As a result maintenance of these mains is a
problem. Again total replacement of these pipes may prove to be a
solution.
Some mains were laid using pipes of substandard grade or class.
This results in frequent bursts due to pressure above their resistance
capacity there by leading to high levels of non-revenue water.

Some networks were poorly designed i.e. they appear like skeletons
in the network thereby affecting pressure distribution
Other Shortfalls
Additionally there are also these shortfalls:
No metering of water pumped or consumed due to non-functioning
meters in some booster stations and reservoirs.

In experienced staff
High level of Non Revenue Water (levels above 35%) which result in
increased production.
Non metering of raw water abstracted into the plant as a result
abstraction is estimated and most processes which are flow
dependant are based on estmates

Non metering of treated water in TW2 as a result total amount of
water produced is estimated.
To address the above identified shortfalls and gaps, the following is

proposed.
Reduction of water losses in the treatment plant and in the

distribution network in order to prolong the capacity of the
treatment plant beyond 2009.

Implementation of Non Revenue Water Reduction Program to reduce
Water demand.
62
Implementation of capital projects to cover the identified gaps and
shortfalls
Staff training to address shortfalls.
The treatment facilities are operating almost on their capacities at
present. Since the development of a new source and other treatment
facilities have been delayed, it is essential to intensify water demand
management programs so that customers use water sparingly.
5.10 Stakeholder Analysis

In order to analyse the challenges and pressures that the institution
faces from outside it carried out stakeholder analysis. The following
were noted to have key influence on the Boards operations;
(a) Malawi Government

The Malawi Government has profound influence over the operations
of Lilongwe Water Board. First the Government is the owner of the
utility. It gives license on the utilitys business and areas that the
utility serves. It sets laws and policies that govern the utilitys
operations.
It
appoints
management
and board
members.
It
approves an increase in tariffs levels and hence has powers to object

proposals that are not in line with its agenda. The Government
approves proposals for the utility to seek funding from international
financiers and acts as a guarantor in case of any international
agreement. It also gives grants to the utility when there is need.
(b) Customers
Lilongwe Water Board exists because of customers. In general all
customers
expect
high
quality
services
at low
tariffs.
It
is
everybodys expectation to pay for the value of money. Customers

need to be treated with utmost care in order to generate their
63
confidence in the utility. It is the customer confidence and trust that

can induce more people to get connected and use more water per
capita and hence more revenues for the utility. At the same time
customer cooperation is needed in using water sparingly when the
utility faces water shortages and draughts.
(c) Suppliers, Contractors and Consultants
Lilongwe Water Board depends on these people for the supply of raw
materials like chemicals for water treatment, services such as
electricity as well as large scale infrastructure projects. These people
also provide proposals for services, new equipment, new technology
etc. At present this group is the main source of the utilitys costs with
electricity suppliers leading the clue. Their interest is to make profits
out of their services. Sometimes they use illegal techniques to
generate profits. It is important to follow correct procedures of
procurement in order to get the value of money from this group and
to ensure total quality management.
(d) Regulators (Health Hygiene and Environmental)
Legislation regarding the protection of health and the environment is
generally adopted by the government in day to day life. However, it
is important to note that regulators impose tough standards that
need an input of more resources to cope with. Regulators have
powers to prosecute the utility for non-compliance. This can be
expensive. Just like government, regulators are mandated to protect
the interest of the public thus making sure that customers get the
value of their money. This calls for efficiency in service delivery and
compliance on the part of the utility.
(e) Media
The influence of the media is on awareness campaigns regarding
conservation of water, water shortages, water interruptions and any
64
other message that customers must get as urgently as possible. The

media may also have a negative impact by airing incorrect and
unbalanced message to customers and other stakeholders.
(f) NGOs
NGOs have an influence in supporting public interest. Normally this
interest is not in line with the utilitys mission in providing services at
full cost recovery. As a result NGOs may come in with some finances
to initiate the utility to provide services and charge subsidized tariffs.
This has influenced the utility to focus on low-income communities.
It is also important to note that NGOs have links with the media and
other stakeholders including the international community. If their
demands are disregarded, they can have an influence on the image
of the utility towards these stakeholders.
(g) Financiers
Lilongwe Water Board is depending on financiers to meet costs of
investments that cannot be funded internally. However, these
financiers have an interest in making profits out of their capital. They
would love to support a utility founded on a sound background in
terms of economics and financial management to guarantee pay
back of their capital including interests. In order to do this, financiers
may impose rules and policies on utilities that need to access their
funds.
In addition to the external stakeholders there are also internal ones
that need analysis.
(a) Members of Staf
Staff
members
generally
need
adequate
pay,
good
working
conditions, job security, training and motivation. The success of the

65
utility is dependent on commitment of staff members to carry out

specific tasks and meet required targets. If members of staff are not
motivated, business success is impossible.
(b) Management
In this case Management refers to CMT members only. These have
an influence in decision making that guide the direction of the
company. Being employees they also need good pay and other
issues as outlined under staff. However, it takes management
decision to change the companys direction in terms of vision and
mission
including
core
values.
The
utility
requires
dynamic
leadership that can cope with the challenges of the fast changing
business environment and technology.
5.11 Market Characteristics and Customer Analysis
Generally the market area for Lilongwe Water Board is the city of
Lilongwe. The utility serves other areas as directed by the Malawi
Government. At the moment Lilongwe Water Board sells water in
bulk to Central Region Water Board to service areas like Likuni,
Chigwirizano, Old Airport, Chitedze Research Station and Natural
Resources College in the west and Bunda College in the south.
The utilitys customers are divided into residential (domestic use),
institutional, commercial and industry, Central Region Water Board
and communal water points (kiosks). These customers have different
consumption rates. They are charged different tariffs. The table
below indicates percentage consumption out of production according
to 2007 situation.
Category
Residential
Institutional
Commercial
Consumption percentage
51
18
18
66
Central
Region
Water 6
Board
Kiosks
Total
7
100
Figure 11 Distribution of Lilongwe Water Board Customers
It is important to note that while percentage consumption for

institutions is 18%, the consumption per connection is high and as a
result these institutions bring higher levels of revenues per
connection. It is equally true that some institutions fail to pay due to
higher consumptions and they represent a bigger challenge in
revenue collection.
Residential customers represent the number of households that have
been connected to the water supply system. This can also be
translated to represent population served within the city.
As of July 2008 there were 31,503 customers in total. Residential
customers
were
28,425.
Institutions
were
587.
Commercial
connections were 2,014 while kiosks were 475.

5.12 Demand Projections
The demand projection is based on production history since 1990.
The history is for average daily production for each month which is
later translated to average annual growth. At the time of preparation
of this plan, months of October, November and December for 2008
67
were yet to be covered. Figures for these months were estimated to

project circumstances for 2008. It was generally noted that average
daily production grew by about 2,000m 3 per year since 1990. There
were some years which experienced a decrease in growth or indeed
average daily production got reduced to smaller figures. This can be
attributed to bad weather conditions that necessitated rationing and
down time for production works. In other years the growth was
greater than 2,000m3 per year. This can be attributed to favourable
weather conditions coupled with good economic conditions that
allowed customers to use more water.
The graph below shows the general trend in history and the
projection up 2025.
Figure 12 Demand Projection based on Production
It is clear from the graph that water production for 2008 is higher
than the general growth.
In terms of peak production the data utilized was recorded from 2002
to 2008. The highest peak production was recorded in September
2008. Peak production for 2002 was similar to that of 2005. The
graph below shows the general trend according to historic data up to
2008 and the projection of the same up to 2025.
68
Figure 13 Peak Demand Projection
Assuming the treatment capacity of the two plants is sustained to

the design capacity Lilongwe Water Board can cope with the growing
demand up to 2013. However, the current status of the treatment
plants cannot sustain this demand. It is highlighted under current
infrastructure status that there is need to rehabilitate especially TW1
to enable it produce to the design capacity. If rehabilitation works are
not implemented, it is most unlikely that the treatment capacity will
be adequate to cope with the demand beyond 2010. It should also
be
noted
that
the
demand
projections
indicated
above
are
suppressed since it incorporates rationing and other water demand

management measures that were put in place during periods of
water shortages and draught. Unsuppressed demand projections
need accurate socio-economic data which is expected to be
compiled soon by National Statistical Office. Using socio-economic
data for the year 1998 it is noted that demand projection appears as
shown in the following table.
69
Year
Demand in m3
Production
Capacity in m3
2009 110,356
95000
2010 115,323
95000
2011 120,619
95000
2012 126,276
95000
2013 132,319
95000
2014 144,454
95000
2020 194,467
95000
2025 271,332
95000
Graphically this information can be represented as follows;
Figure 14 Demand Projection based on Socio-economic Data
It is clear from the unsuppressed demand projections that the

treatment capacity is inadequate even for the year 2008-2009.
5.13 Population Projections
70
According to National Statistics Offices Preliminary Report for 2008,

there are 669,021 residents in the city of Lilongwe. In 1998 there
were 435,964 residents. This translates into an annual growth rate of
5.8% per annum.
Projected
Population
Census
No
INDICATOR
Growth
rate(%)
1998
2008
2009
2010
2010
2011
2011
2012
2012
2013
2013
2014
14,030
3,099
4,558
108
863
1,141
41,920
20,487
1,917
3,220
954
2,321
25
1,188
1,544
0
4
13,751
14,030
14
46,065
30,602
47,208
25,337
67,979
4,901
2,353
48
547
14,353
3,130
4,558
118
976
1,141
43,001
20,487
1,957
3,220
954
2,321
25
1,224
1,544
0
4
14,071
14,353
14
47,191
31,863
48,682
26,811
71,479
5,004
2,461
48
547
14,683
3,162
4,558
128
1,102
1,141
44,109
20,487
1,997
3,220
954
2,321
25
1,260
1,544
0
4
14,398
14,683
14
48,345
33,177
50,201
28,371
75,159
5,110
2,574
48
547
15,021
3,194
4,558
140
1,246
1,141
45,245
20,487
2,039
3,220
954
2,321
25
1,297
1,544
0
4
14,733
15,021
14
49,527
34,545
51,769
30,022
79,028
5,218
2,693
48
547
15,367
3,226
4,558
152
1,408
1,141
46,411
20,487
2,081
3,220
954
2,321
25
1,336
1,544
0
4
15,076
15,367
14
50,739
35,969
53,385
31,768
83,097
5,329
2,816
48
547
Population
by areas
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
Area 1
Area 2
Area 3
Area 4
Area 5
Area 6
Area 7
Area 8
Area 9
Area 10
Area 11
Area 12
Area 13
Area 14
Area 15
Area 16
Area 17
Area 18
Area 19
Area 20
Area 21
Area 22
Area 23
Area 24
Area 25
Area 26
Area 27
Area 28
Area 29
2.3%
1.0%
-0.2%
9.0%
13.0%
-1.8%
2.6%
-1.3%
2.1%
-2.1%
-1.2%
-1.2%
-3.8%
3.0%
-1.9%
10,922
2,774
4,658
42
225
1,365
31,686
23,310
1,529
3,987
1,075
2,629
37
861
1,872
2.3%
-0.2%
10,677
2.4%
4.1%
3.1%
5.8%
5.1%
2.1%
4.6%
-17.3%
-1.8%
35,314
19,622
33,664
13,602
39,132
3,892
1,434
321
658
13,714
3,068
4,558
99
764
1,141
40,867
20,487
1,878
3,220
954
2,321
25
1,154
1,544
0
4
13,438
0
14
44,965
29,390
45,779
23,944
64,650
4,799
2,249
48
547
71
Projected Population
Census Results
No
INDICATOR
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
Population
by areas
Area 30
Area 31
Area 32
Area 33
Area 34
Area 35
Area 36
Area 37
Area 38
Area 39
Area 40
Area 41
Area 42
Area 43
Area 44
Area 45
Area 46
Area 47
Area 48
Area 49
Area 50
Area 51
Area 52
Area 53
Area 54
Area 55
Area 56
Area 57
Area 58
Growth
rate(%)
1998
2008
-2.2%
2,914
3.5%
2.8%
247
1,938
3.7%
11.0%
5,176
16,164
14.3%
2.1%
2,591
3,886
2,344
0
350
2,545
42
7,455
45,991
567
9,867
4,789
8
3,000
13
2,290
26,274
170
3,189
8,242
0
26,001
26,990
13,583
3,323
19,453
4,489
13,545
36,786
60,617
24,477
0
3.3%
7.1%
-8.5%
3.6%
4.1%
1,651
13,203
414
2,244
5,497
6.8%
12.7%
-0.7%
1.6%
5.0%
2.6%
2.2%
5.1%
5.7%
3.8%
13,501
8,178
14,499
2,843
11,947
3,469
10,867
22,369
34,692
16,893
2009
2010
2010
2011
2011
2012
2012
2013
2013
2014
1
2,344
0
362
2,615
42
7,732
51,061
567
11,279
4,890
8
3,000
13
2,366
28,146
170
3,303
8,583
0
27,762
30,413
13,583
3,375
20,425
4,606
13,847
38,662
64,096
25,402
2
2,344
0
375
2,688
42
8,019
56,689
567
12,892
4,993
8
3,000
13
2,445
30,151
170
3,421
8,937
0
29,643
34,270
13,583
3,428
21,445
4,726
14,155
40,634
67,775
26,361
3
2,344
0
389
2,762
42
8,317
62,938
567
14,737
5,099
8
3,000
13
2,526
32,298
170
3,544
9,307
0
31,650
38,616
13,583
3,482
22,517
4,850
14,470
42,706
71,664
27,357
4
2,344
0
402
2,838
42
8,626
69,875
567
16,845
5,206
8
3,000
13
2,610
34,599
170
3,670
9,692
0
33,794
43,514
13,583
3,537
23,642
4,977
14,793
44,885
75,778
28,391
5
2,344
0
417
2,916
42
8,947
77,577
567
19,255
5,316
8
3,000
13
2,697
37,064
170
3,802
10,092
0
36,083
49,032
13,583
3,593
24,823
5,106
15,122
47,174
80,127
29,463
72
5.14 Tariff Structure

Lilongwe Water Board aims at becoming fully autonomous and selffinancing in which case all costs need to be recovered through the
tariff structure. Ideally tariffs are set to recover the costs for the
coming year. This requires forward planning to estimate the likely
costs and set tariffs accordingly.
As of July 2008 the tariff structure for different customers was as
indicated below;
Category
Residential
Institutions
Volume
Tariff MK
3
Up to 10m per month
51.00
Next 30m3
74.00
There after
103.00
Minimum Charge
508.00
Flat rate
95.00
Minimum Charge
Commercial
Central Region Water Board

Kiosks
927.00
108.00
There after
137.00
Minimum Charge
1078.00
Flat rate
44.00
Minimum Charge
445.00
First 100m
Communal Kiosks
Lilongwe
Kiosks
Water
Minimum Charge
58.00
Board
65.00
582.00
667.00
Meter Testing Fees

Reconnection Fees
1000.00
From the tariff structure it is clear that the people in domestic

category may use water according to their status. Those who can
pay more use more water while those facing difficulties are
subsidised. Commercial and institutional properties are charged flat
tariffs because it is assumed that these properties are constructed
by clients that do not face financial problems that can restrict use of
water.
Tariff Adjustment
73
According to Lilongwe Water Board Corporate Charter of 2005 tariff

adjustment is supposed to be effected automatically depending on
rising levels of operational costs. However, it is the Malawi
Government that approves increments in tariffs including the level of
increase.
The adjustment formula must allow to calculate the average tariff at
a time just by applying a calculated index to the base tariff (startup tariff). This may be written as:
Tt = It0 * T0
Where
Tt
Tariff at time
T0
Tariff at time
Index calculated with parameters to times 0 and t.
The adjustment formula, i.e. the index, may be built by

considering successively three issues (inflation, expansion,
productivity).
Inflation Adjustment
The next step is the construction of an adjustment formula limited to
the phenomenon of price increases. The rationale is then to
breakdown the tariff in relevant items and consider a price
evaluation for each item. The index may be written as:
Ii =
Wn * Ptn
P0n
Where
74
Ii
index related to inflation
index of the items considered
price of the items
beginning time
time of the adjustment
In practice, the equilibrium cost is broken-down as done previously.

In that condition, items to be considered are:-
Staff
Unit Salary
Energy
KVA and KWh
Imported
USD
General
CPI
Depreciation
Composite index
The weights of the inflation adjustment formula may be derived

using the unit cost breakdown and the projected accounts for a
given financial year.
5.15 Financial Status of Business for the Board

As at 31st December 2008 which is also the end of half financial year
(2008-2009) the business situation was as follows;
a) Total capital employed was MK1,409,622,212.00
b) Total fixed assets were valued to be MK2,818,288,042.00
c) Capital work in progress was valued at MK304,380758.00
d) Total current assets were valued at MK1,018,506,515.00
e) Total current liabilities were valued at MK2,731,553,103
f) Current Ratio was at 0.37
g) Quick Ratio was at 0.29
h) Gearing Ratio was at 1.19
i) Return on net assets was at 14.83%
j) Debtors Billing Months was at 3.12
75
k) Operating Profit/water Sales was at 31.24%

l) Net profit (loss)/Total Income was at 19.94%
m) Net Profit /Capital Employed was at 11.63%
n) Revenue / Capital Employed was at 58.31%
o) Interest cover was at 4.94
5.16 General SWOT Analysis for the Business Environment
To summarise both the internal and the external environment that
affect Lilongwe Water Boards operation SWOT analysis was carried
out.
Before
looking
at
specifically
strengths,
weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (SWOT), the following were noted to be

challenges for the utility;
Rising Operational and investment costs
Aging infrastructure
Increasingly stringent regulatory requirements.
Population changes that directly influences water demand and

the haphazard development pattern for the city.
Rapidly changing workforce
Competition from sellers of bottled water.
Increased data requirements for accurate modeling of both

physical and financial indicators.
Increased performance targets at international level.
Fast changing technology such that some facilities are

outdated and spare parts are no longer available.
Lack
of
asset
management
and
operational
(including
maintenance) plan.
There are no clear guidelines on basis for repairs versus

replacement decisions.
Diminishing resources that can be exploited at reasonable

cost.
Rising service expectations of customers.
76
5.16.1
Strengths
The Board has:
Available
within
its
water
supply
environment
relatively
adequate raw water sources to enable it meet its short to midterm water supply demand. However, this source cannot sustain
the growing demand beyond 2012 as highlighted in the demand
projection.
good
combination
of
highly
educated,
knowledgeable,
innovative and skilled employees.
Well documented planning and management tools, through the

five year Corporate and the Annual Business Plans, which set
out a clear Vision, Mission Statement, Core Values, Objectives,
Strategies, and Performance targets for long, medium and short
terms.
Relatively better conditions of service for its employees that

enables it to recruit and retain them.
Some of the infrastructures are fairly in good condition, which

translates into efficient operational levels.
Relatively cordial relationship between staff and management

through the existing trade union.
Stable and relatively good customer base, which can ascertain

its financial viability, hence enable it meet its day to day
operational, asset replacement and small investment costs.
Good linkages with most of its stakeholders, such as Banks,

Government Ministries/Departments, lending Institutions
Built good partnerships with other key stakeholders in the

preservation, protection and management of the catchment
areas.
Effective management systems and structures, through the

decentralized zonal arrangement, which aims at bringing its
services closer to its customers.
77
Adopted
modern
information
technology
in
serving
its
customers such as the website and ATM for paying water bills at
the National Bank of Malawi that necessitates instant automated
Accounts update.
Good
policies
(HIV
and
AIDS,
Terms
and
Conditions
of
Employment, etc).
5.16.2
Weaknesses.
The Board has identified the following as areas of

Weaknesses:
Poor corporate culture and lack of patriotism.
Laissez faire attitude towards work.
Mis-allocation and mistreatment of skilled people.
Inconsistency
and
biasness
in
implementing
policies
e.g.
disciplinary procedures and rewarding systems.
Existence of suppressed demand coming in the wake of

inadequate and / or poorly designed pumping, treatment,
storage facilities and distribution network.
Corrupt practices
Existence of a silo culture i.e. there is need to promote

intersectional relationships.
Lack of teamwork and spirit.
Stagnation of production over the years.
5.16.3
Opportunities
The Board considers taking advantage of the following opportunities in

order to accomplish its 2008/2009 goal and objectives:
The monopolistic nature of the Business. The Board has few

competitors in the business of piped water in its operating area.
It was instituted under an act of parliament thereby making
similar operators illegal in this area.
78
Availability of raw water resource, which is easy to abstract and

treat.
The nature of the product is essential such that no one can do

without it, and require little or no market at all.
There is plenty of room for expansion as the city grows.
There is support from donors as well as the Government.
There is availability of training institutions in relevant disciplines

that can be utilized by the Board.
There is available on the market technology which can enable

the Board deliver efficient and high quality services.
There is potential to go into further partnership with other

organizations that can assist in service delivery.
Governments recognition of water as second focus area in the

MGDS.
Good and well distributed customer base.
Existence of Potential Market (Movement of Administrative

Capital, Existence of Information Settlements).
5.16.4
Fair water supply terrain and good geographical setting.

Threats
No business venture operates without any challenges. Some of the

issues that could be singled as key challenges or huddles affecting the
operations of Lilongwe Water Board are:
Rising operating costs due to micro-economic instability, rising

cost of inputs, and use of inefficient and time expired plant and
equipment.
Approved tariff levels being much less than the required full cost
recovery rate.
High debt burden coming in the wake of foreign exchange losses

and high interest rates on long outstanding debts.
79
Culture of non-payment. More often most customers have to be

disconnected or threatened with a disconnection for them to
respond.
Heavy catchment degradation due to poor farming practices

and encroachment often leading to increased erosion and ever
increasing deterioration of the quality of raw water.
Negative impact of HIV and AIDS, leading to loss of productive

time, employees and high staff welfare costs.
Ever increasing demand of water and the services. This is more

in unplanned areas where provision of these services can be
quite a big challenge.
Instances
of
vandalism,
illegal
connections
and
illegal
reconnections.
Existence of bottled water and the drilling of boreholes within its

supply area.
There is heavy catchment degradation, encroachment and poor

farming practices, resulting in high treatment costs.
The inability of the Water Resources Board to enforce its byelaws.
Existence of conflicting policies and legal instruments.
The prevalence of HIV and AIDS.
Viruses that corrupt computers.
Unpredictable weather patterns which are due to global

warming.
Unstable and unreliable power supply.
Reliance on imported inputs for water treatment.
80
CHAPTER 6
KEY OBJECTIVES IN FUNCTIONAL AREAS
In order to achieve efficient management of the utility Lilongwe

Water Board would like achieve the following objectives;
6.1 Water Quality
To produce potable water meeting standards for the World Health
Organization and local regulatory organizations like Malawi Bureau of
Standards, treat effluent, and process residuals in full compliance
with regulatory and reliability requirements and consistent with
customer, public health, and ecological needs.
6.2 Customer Satisfaction
To provide reliable, responsive and affordable services in line

with explicit, customer accepted service levels.
To
receive
timely
customer
feedback
to
maintain
responsiveness to customer needs and emergencies.

6.3 Operational Optimization
To
ensure
on-going,
timely,
cost-effective,
reliable
and
sustainable performance improvements in all facets of the

Boards operations.
To minimize resource use, loss and impacts from day to day

operations.
To maintain awareness of information and operational

technology developments to anticipate and support timely
adoption of of improvements.
6.4 Infrastructure Sustainability
81
To understand the condition and costs associated with critical

infrastructure assets.
To maintain and enhance the condition of all assets over the

long-term at the lowest possible life-cycle cost and acceptable
risk consistent with customer, community and regulatorsupported service levels, and consistent with anticipated
growth and system reliability goals.
To ensure that asset repair, rehabilitation and replacement

efforts are coordinated within the community to minimize
disruptions and other negative consequences.
6.5 Financial Viability
To understand the full life-cycle cost of the Board and to

establish and maintain an effective balance between long-term
debt, asset values, operations and maintenance expenditures
and operating revenues.
To establish predictable rates- consistent with community

expectations and acceptability- adequate to recover costs,
provide for reserves, maintain support from bond rating
agencies and plan and invest for future needs.
6.6 Operational Resiliency
To ensure that the Boards leadership and staff work together

to anticipate and avoid problems.
To proactively identify, assess, establish tolerance levels for,

and to effectively manage a full range of business risks
(including legal, regulatory, financial, environmental, safety,
security and natural disaster-related) in a proactive way
consistent with industry trends and system reliability goals.
6.7 Employee and Leadership Development
82
To recruit and retain a workforce that is competent, motivated,

adaptive and safe-working.
To
establish
participatory,
collaborative
organization
dedicated to continuous learning and improvement processes.
To ensure that employee knowledge is retained and improved

upon over time.
To provide focus and to emphasize on opportunities for

professional and leadership development and to strive to
create an integrated and well-coordinated senior leadership
team.
6.8 Community Sustainability

This is explicitly cognizant of and tentative to the impacts its
decisions have on current and long-term future community and
watershed health and welfare.
To manage operations, infrastructure and investments to

protect
restore
and
enhance
the
natural
environment;
efficiently use water and energy resources; promote economic

vitality and engenders overall community improvement.
To explicitly consider a variety
of pollution prevention,
watershed and water source protection approaches as part of

an overall strategy to maintain and enhance ecological and
community sustainability.
6.9 Water Resource Adequacy
To ensure that water availability is consistent with current and

future customer needs through long-term resource supply and
demand analysis, conservation and public education.
To explicitly consider its role in water availability and manage

operations to provide for long-term surface water sustainability
and replenishment.
83
6.10 Stakeholder Understanding and Support
To engender understanding and support from oversight bodies,

community and watershed interests and regulatory bodies for
service levels, rate structures, operating budgets, capital
improvement programs and risk management decisions.
To actively involve stakeholders in the decisions that will affect

them.
CHAPTER 7
ENHANCING PERFORMANCE IN KEY
FUNCTIONAL AREAS
7.0 General
Having carried out situation analysis in terms of current status of the
Boards infrastructure and also having identified key objectives for efficient
operations, it is now necessary to strategise on how to enhance
84
performance in key functional areas. The strategies should also take into
consideration the influences on and from all stakeholders outlined in
section 5.7.
It is obvious that employees of Lilongwe Water Board carry out their work
through hundreds of activities. Ultimately every activity offers the
potential for improvement. However, it wouldnt make sense to try to
improve every activity at once. The utility has to make choices, has to set
priorities and has to decide where best to begin the programs for
comprehensive improvement. This is also influenced by availability of
funding coupled with financing requirements.
The Boards key functional areas have been identified to be as follows;
1. Water Source Management including Headworks
2. Treatment Works
3. Maintenance and Rehabilitation
4. Customer Service
5. Information and Control Systems
6. Creating an Energy Efficient System
7.1 Water Source Management including Headworks
Water Source Management is aimed at ensuring sustained supply of raw
water in adequate quantities and in quality that can enable economic
treatment levels. Lilongwe Water Board relies on surface water from
Lilongwe River. Therefore in this case water source management refers to
the management of Lilongwe River Basin including its tributaries. Knowing
also that sustained supply is complemented by impoundment in the two
reservoirs namely Kamuzu Dam 1 and 2 it is important to look into issues
of reservoir management and optimising their operations.
Headworks refers to dam out-flow control measures that ensure adequate
flow to meet demands for the water utility and other users along the water
way. It also includes the conveyance system operations down to the intake
structures at water works.
85
This area has been identified as critical functional area because future
projections indicate that the demand will shortly out-weigh catchment
yield. Proposals have been made to develop another source. However, the
project has been delayed due to lack of funding. It is also generally felt
that financiers would like to see efficient use of available resources other
than funding expansion programs.
Enhancing performance in this area can be done through the following
measures;
Carrying out an inventory of catchment characteristics, human

activities taking place in the catchment area and projecting future
trends.
Checking legislation that governs human activities in the catchment

area.
Analysing impacts of each activity using either lumped or distributed

modelling system that can take advantage of GIS. The impacts may
be in form of water usage, water pollution, soil erosion, land
degradation etc.
Real time modelling of inflows in the catchment area and reservoirs.

This implies accurate prediction of precipitation levels that in turn
contribute to river flows. There should be adequate instrumentation
for measuring the different parameters such as precipitation, river
levels, evapo-transpiration , infiltration including percolation etc.
There should be adequate manpower for accurate and consistent
data collection. It is also important to take advantage of new
technology; the telemetry system that can be installed in targeted
areas for remote data collection. The utility should consider
procuring software for inflow modelling such as HBV.
Real time modelling of reservoir sedimentation so as to predict with

certainty the available volume for water storage and the impact of
open or surface water evaporation.
86
Carrying
out
economic
and
financial
analyses
of
catchment
management measures and timely implementing those that are

feasible and can bring forth results in good time.
Real time modelling of water quality in the catchment area including

the prediction of impacts of any intrusion of pollution with respect to
space, time and concentration.
Continuous surveillance of the dam structures and reservoirs to

monitor movements, deformations, seepage, piping, erosion of
embankments, extraordinary water loss etc. Providing adequate
instrumentation for monitoring the movements and reservoir levels,
and replacing or maintaining those that are not functioning properly.
Establishing Reservoir Guide or/and Rule Curves.
Planned dam and reservoir maintenance and rehabilitation.
Optimising use of reservoir resources through modelling of inflows

and outflows according to different demands assigned to different
uses.
Optimising operations in response to available resources against the

demands. Installing telemetry system for remote control of gates.
Analysing the impact of dam break in terms of space and time

through modelling the out flows. Preparation of an Emergency Plan
of action when dam breach occurs.
7.2 Treatment Works

Water Treatment System is a major functional area targeted for enhancing
the
utilitys
performance
and
controlling
costs.
This
takes
into
consideration the fact that treatment works can comprise as much as 35

to 40% of the operating budget. There are many opportunities to enhance
performance in the treatment system. However, when seeking ways to
improve efficiency and reduce costs, the mission of the treatment pant
must be considered i.e. to produce adequate water that is of quality that
protects public health. The overview of opportunities can be grouped into
three areas as follows;
Operations and Maintenance

87
Technology
Organizational factors and constraints.
Lilongwe Water Board utilises a conventional system in treating water in

both treatment plants. Considering the processes that take place in
different stages, the following are areas within the treatment facility that
may be optimised;
a)
Labour allocation and skill level.
b)
Work force consolidation and functional cross training
c)
Operation and Maintenance procedures and practices.
d)
Energy and chemical consumptions
e)
Solid handling and disposal.
f)
Equipment application and performance.
g)
Applied control and information technology
h)
Treatment processes
i)
Management of assets and inventories.
j)
Support system and services.
k)
Laboratory services
l)
Purchasing requirements
m)
Integration of SCADA and other information technologies.
n)
Selective outsourcing of non-core functions.
7.2.1 Enhancing
Performance
Efficiency
in
Operation
and
Maintenance
There are several strategies for improving performance in this area and
amongst them are the following;
Routine Work Processes and Monitoring Procedures

The best approach is to implement streamlined procedures for essential
data only. Routine review and updating of data needs and monitoring
procedures should also help the area.
Optimise Chemical Consumption
88
Chemicals are often overdosed by the operators as a margin of safety. This

is an area in which significant savings in costs may be found. The best
approach is to implement proper dosing coupled with real time monitoring
(sampling and testing to check impacts).
Optimise Energy Consumption

Energy consumption can be optimised. Even small reductions result in
savings over a year. Monitoring energy consumption by unit treatment
process can be an excellent tool for assessing areas that may be
optimised. The best approach is to develop an Energy Management
Strategy
with
highly
efficient
equipment
and
aggressive
energy
monitoring.
Efficient Residuals Management

As conventional treatment plants, there are two sources of residuals in
Lilongwe Water Board Treatment Works. One source is the sedimentation
basins. The second source is backwashing of filters. When membranes are
in place and functioning, an additional source can be rejected water. There
are also waste streams which contain suspended materials that are
removed during the treatment process and from treatment chemicals.
The conventional strategy for efficient handling and disposal of waste
streams and residuals is to reduce the quantity of solids generated and to
utilize low cost (capital and operating) method of treatment and disposal.
This area is also a good candidate for contracting out (outsourcing).
Effective Maintenance Management

Maintenance management is a critical factor in treatment plant operations
in improving overall work process improvements. The core issue is to
implement a proactive program as opposed to reacting to circumstances
or scenarios that lead to lots of inefficiencies and loss of revenues.
Staff Training and Development

89
Staff must be continually trained and their professional skills developed

and expanded for the utility to be efficient and effective. The members
staff govern the cost of operation. They also govern the managers
successfulness in achieving organisational goals. They must be given the
tools, resources and skills to conduct their work.
The other important issue is that technology is changing. As new or
improved technology is introduced to improve treatment performance and
to reduce labour requirements, training becomes a requisite.
The best approach is to implement a formal, well funded, near continuous
staff development and training program matched to individual needs.
Integration of Operations and Maintenance Functions

It is traditional to find segregated operations functions from maintenance
functions. Union and civil service rules have prevailed in keeping in
operations and maintenance functions separate, with labour classifications
and titles consummate with clear separation. This generally results in
insignificant inefficiencies. The best approach is to implement both
functions integrated meaninglessly with excessive staff cross-utilization.
Operation and Maintenance References and Resources

Members of staff need to make decisions and find information. There is
need for a vibrant management information system with accurate data
and capability to interpolate the same for purposes of decision making. In
addition to an efficient MIS the following need to be available;
Updated Operations and Maintenance Manual.
Equipment Maintenance Manuals.
Training Documents
Facility Plans and Specifications
Other journals.
Creative Purchasing
90
Creative purchasing opportunities are found in the area of bulk items such
as chemicals and consumables. One large, potential cost savings is in
volume discounts and effective negotiation contracts.
It should be remembered that some chemicals need proper storage. It is
therefore essential that bulk purchasing should consider existing storage
facilities to avoid wastage. Economic analysis should also help in coming
up with a balanced mode by looking at long-term gains of constructing
storage facilities for purposes of purchasing chemicals in bulk compared to
other modes of purchasing.
Mothballing and Streaming Treatment Processes

There are occasions when the demand is relative low i.e. there is no need
for peak production. This can be matched to certain seasons, months or
hours of the day. When there excess capacity, there is no need to operate
the plant to full capacity. Shifting production to a sister facility with lower
operating cost prove to be a significant way of saving
Operation and
Maintenance Costs. At the same time the rested facilities may be

maintained to improve their efficiencies.
It is important to remember that there is a cost associated with operating
systems, be they electrical, mechanical, chemical or labour costs. Resting
certain systems will automatically lead to cost savings.
7.2.2 Enhancing Performance Efficiency Related to Technology
Treatment Processes are often selected based treatability studies i.e.
engineering criteria to meet the expected range of flows and changes in
raw water quality. It is believed that these issues were looked into during
the design process and that appropriate amount of flexibility was
considered without building in unnecessary complexity.
Once the treatment processes are placed in operation, the plant operators
are expected to carry out real time monitoring of water quality parameters
91
such as turbidity to determine the plants optimum operating modes,

which
may
require
daily,
seasonal
or
cyclical
adjustments.
Such
adjustments may bring forth significant savings in operational costs.

Analytical Capabilities
Most facilities focus on the required and routine laboratory work. While
these works are necessary there are a number of other techniques
available to help optimize treatment processes. Bench-scale work such as
jar testing, treatability testing, process simulation and pilot studies also
indicate required process adjustments or impending problems and identify
opportunities to improve efficiency.
Information Systems
The broad category of information systems include data storage, transfer
and management systems for various functions such as maintenance
management,
laboratory
operation,
process
monitoring,
regulatory
reporting, reference information, billing and collection, customer service

and staff communications.
Facility management must be forward thinking since the need for some
applications may not be intuitively obvious. However, for the utility to
become efficient and remain so, there is need to invest in information
systems hardware, software and personnel training. This will ultimately
pay off as staff members become more productive at their jobs, find the
information they need readily available and reduce the duplicated efforts
in data entry and information reporting.
Instrumentation and Control Systems

Treatment plants have been designed to include certain levels of
instrumentation and control to protect individual equipment and to provide
discrete monitoring and control. However, the instrumentation of Lilongwe
92
Water Boards treatment works are not adequate. There is need for a
comprehensive distributed monitoring and control system to provide
extensive equipment
and process automation and centralise data
collection, monitoring and alarm indication.
Metering and Monitoring Capabilities

Effective and accurate metering of all flows into, within and leaving the
treatment works is essential. Flows are used for balancing, tracking,
recording, calculating and determining cost projections. They are useful for
troubleshooting and cross-checking other instruments and measurements.
The current situation is that most meters are not working properly in the
treatment works. There is need to have accurate meters in all key flow
lines, whether they are process or chemical.
Diagnostic Capabilities
The evolution of portable or bench top diagnostic technologies to monitor
and troubleshoot mechanical and process performance has resulted in the
availability of powerful tools to assist plant operators. Investment in and
proper use and calibration of diagnostic tools can greatly help the
operations and maintenance functions.
Equipment Selection and Operation

Selecting the right equipment for any job makes the operators and the
mechanics job easier thus saving labour costs and ultimately cost les to
operate and maintain the plant. For example, eliminating over-sizes
equipment saves money since smaller equipment requires less power.
Remote Telemetry System

Remote monitoring of the distribution system, storage tanks ,system
pumps and booster stations can reduce labour costs by eliminating the
need to drive to the sites to simply check the system. Members of staff
can focus on critical equipment and provide better response time when
emergencies arise.
93
Building Operations and Maintenance

The best approach in this area is to use energy efficient HVA and lightning
system and to implement an aggressive management program.
7.2.3 Enhancing Performance Efficiency Related to Organizational
Constraints
Organisational Structure
Organizational Structure evolves in response to the number of activities
and services the utility offers. In general a flatter structure proves to be
more effective as compared to a pyramid type with lots of bureaucratic
rules. Performance efficiency may be achieved by adopting the following;
Merging similar departments / functions
Eliminating redundant positions
Outsourcing services where possible
Reducing bureaucratic rules and empowering individuals.
Staffing and Allocation

In order to improve efficiency Lilongwe Water Board needs highly
motivated, skilled and result-oriented staff who are fully able to be crossutilized.
Incentive Programs
There is need for an alternative personnel reward system to motivate
employees who serve in the treatment plant when they assume higher
responsibilities.
7.3 Maintenance and Rehabilitation
Items described under this topic have been tackled in a general way under
treatment works. Here they are expanded to incorporate all systems of
Lilongwe Water Board.
94
Figure 15 Integrated Elements of Operations and maintenance
7.3.1 Challenges in Maintenance and Rehabilitation Works

The following are some of the challenges;
Aging Infrastructure
Rising Maintenance Costs
Increased Data Requirements.
Increased or changing standards both at national and international

levels.
Changing or new workforce.
Competition from other service providers
Increased Performance Targets.
This implies that Lilongwe Water
Board is expected to keep rates low, estimate costs of multi-year

maintenance and rehabilitation plans, cash finance major portions of
capital improvement programs, achieve solid bond ratings, assure
positive net income and cash flow, and deliver low debt to equity
ratios while;
a) Preparing comprehensive systems and financial plans.
b) Developing activity-based costing and budgets.
c) Being efficient in all operations.
d) Flattening and streamlining the institution
e) Achieving favourable customer satisfaction ratings.
95
f) Assuring non-interruption of water services to customers.

g) Minimising water quality complaints.
h) Reducing staff to meet international benchmarks.
The challenges outlined above require the development of a systematic
approach in order to achieve performance improvement. The first step is
an assessment of the infrastructure as outlined under situation analysis.
The Board shall keep and maintain a maintenance inventory indicating all
information as shown in the table below.
No
1
2
Function
Asset Inventory
Historical
Performance
data /Maintenance History
Asset Criticality
Maintenance Standards and
Requirements
Maintenance
Management
Software
3
4
5
Strategies for Improvement

Implementing Planning Systems for Maintenance
Common needs to achieve improvement are;
1
efficient and timely purchasing systems
flexible, well trained labour staff
3 vacation and shift schedules coordinated to ensure optimum staffing

for maintenance activities.
4
Work standards established for maintenance activities.
5 Rational basis for staff development (geographic versus functional

versus skill based)
6 Pre-packaging of materials and scheduling labour and equipment to
support daily work plans.
7 Willingness to modify traditional, hierarchical organisational culture.
8 Reporting of actual performance against planned maintenance.
Developing
Technology
Information
Systems
96
and
Applications
of
New
This can be utilised by following strategies;

1 applying cathodic protection technology to reduce corrossion of DI
pipes and appurtenances and increase life of system assets
2 utilising GIS to locate, record and monitor maintenance history and
other characteristics or attributes of the system
3 developing maintenance management system that contain such
attributes as work activities, work orders, resource planning and
scheduling, work prioritisation and cost accounting.
4 Evaluating new metering technology including remote or touch read
meters
5 Linking maintenance records, work orders, assets, billing, and
financial systems.
6 Providing data bases that are accessible to engineering and
maintenance staff for such elements as field inspection and
maintenance history
Measure and Improve Performance
This may be utilised using the following specific strategies;
1 measuring performance by activity, using both qualitative as well as
quantitative indicators
2 determining
essential
maintenance
functions
and
considering
contracting for non-essential services

3 partnering
or
establishing
material
and/or
service
provider
relationship with suppliers to achieve efficiency.

Implement Employee involvement and Development Activities
Employees have a major stake in creating high performing maintenance
organisation. With this in mind it is requisite to involve them in generating
ideas for performance improvement. The following may be adopted as
strategies under this issue;
1 encouraging employee safety awareness, training and recognition
programs
97
2 supporting skill-based classification and compensation systems;

encouraging multi-tasking for employees.
3 Increasing hand-on labour while reducing overhead and supervision
costs. Emphasising employee responsibility and accountability.
4 Flattening the organisation, reducing levels of supervision and
encouraging lateral as opposed to vertical hierarchy.
5 Involving employees in goal setting, performance measures and
work process improvements
7.4 Customer Service
The vision of Lilongwe Water Board clearly indicates that the utility is
geared towards becoming customer focused. In order to be customer
focused the Board must listen to its customers and respond to them to
create service excellence. The following are some of the ways to listen to
customers;
1
Listen to what customers say about the utility.
Involve the whole company in the service process.
3 Respect that customers vote most clearly with their patronage.

4 Benchmarking the Boards services against outstanding utilities in
the region and the world.
5
Hanging out where customers do
6 Observing customers using water as a product and other services

like commercial plumbing.
7
Relating the Boards experience to customers
Creating customers point of views for employees.
Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction

It is important to understand how customers perceive service quality.
Some of the components of customer perception of service quality are as
follow;
Tangibles
98
Under this component customers appraise the water quality in terms of

appearance, taste and odour. They also appraise the pressure at tap
points. Appearance of facilities including customer service centres also
affects customer perceptions. Customers also analyse the appearance of
crews and equipment.
Reliability
Under
this
component
the
customers
focus
on
consistency
and
dependability of the service.

Responsiveness
The customer analyses the response time to reported problems.
Communication
There is need for a clear and effective communication with customers and
the community at large.
Credibility
Reputation for honesty and integrity, particularly in emergency response
circumstances are critical to customer perceptions.
Security
Customers analyse safety and sanitary water quality and quality of public
fire protection.
Competence
The issues under this component are;
Knowledge and competence of central office and field personnel.
Perceived competence of public sector
Courtesy
Politeness and courtesy of central office and field personnel has an
implication on the perception of the customers.
99
In order to be effective in customer service the Board aims at achieving

the following outcomes.
One stop service
A single well coordinated service centre
Customers can access some service 24 hours a day.
The service organisation can be built around customer needs.
Quick and effective response in emergencies
Customer representatives have broad authority to solve problems.
Special needs customers get the help they need.
Key services achieve specific performance targets.
Special lines of business i.e. a link to big companies that utilise

water.
Planning for Customer Service Improvement

The plan for Lilongwe Water Board service revolution needs to address
issues on four levels as follows;
Conceptual
The conceptual plan consists of a vision, service mission, and customer
feedback and service model.
Perceptual
The perceptions about change are critical to success. The starting point is
to use a process of employee and external stakeholder involvement in the
change process. The desired result is to create positive perceptions and
share ownership.
Accountability
Like any other multi-task project, improvement measures for customer
service or a major service overhaul needs a specific plan that identifies
100
tasks, due dates and responsible persons. Mechanisms must be put in

place for monitoring and evaluation of all activities including their impacts.
Leadership
The leadership element is essential for the success of customer service
delivery. There is need for leadership with vision, concept, desire,
willingness and energy to move ahead.
Tools of the Service Business

There are several tools that the Board may utilise for the service business.
Some of them include;
Telephone systems
Customer information systems/ geographic systems/ personal
Facilities such as public service centres, banks hyper stores etc
Policies. In this regard policies define the Board as customer friendly

or bureaucratic. The Board needs to adopt good policies to achieve
performance improvements in customer service
The Service Organisation

Generally the service organisation design is generated from customer
needs and internal assessment of what works or does not work. According
to Lilongwe Water Board the idea of partial decentralisation has been
adopted such that all zone offices have pay facilities as well as customer
call centres. However, it has been realised that Northern Zone Office
seems to be a convenient place for customers. Customers prefer to go to
Madzi House or Hyper store for payment of bills as compared to the zone
office. In this regard it may be suggested to relocate the pay centre for
Northern Zone at Area 25 Turn off.
Other issues that may be considered are as follows;
101
Call Centres (faults )

These can provide a wide range of basic services (usually high volume
service of the Board) often for extended hours of operation. The Call
centre should have links to other teams that provide speciality service on
referral such as Network, GIS, Maintenance and Commercial Plumbing. The
chief feature of the call centre is that it makes its services available at the
convenience of the customers, meaning one stop service including
evenings, weekends and holidays.
Speciality or Field Service Teams
Speciality Teams can support a call centre by having experts available.
These experts may offer advice to the call centre upon receiving questions
or may tackle the problem directly depending on the nature of the
problem.
Credit/ Collection
Sometimes it proves to be effective to make some sort of credit
arrangements to customers that are struggling to settle bills by
redistributing the bill over an agreeable period. This is an incentive to
customers such that instead of disconnecting the property a customer still
gets the service but pays at higher amounts to make up for the
accumulated bill.
Billing, Accounting and Auditing
Sometimes thought of backroom functions, billing, accounting and
auditing (quality control) have a direct and important influence on
customer service. It is therefore important to link such functions to
customer service organisation.
Metering
Water supply to customers is not free. Meters can be considered as cash
registration devices that determine accuracy of charges on the customer.
102
It is therefore vital to have meters that accurate and consistent as

measuring devices.
The success of any meter improvement program directly affects quality of
service to customers. There is need for a comprehensive program to
identify meters that are not accurate or are faulty. Faulty meters have to
be maintained or replaced whichever is appropriate, with urgency.
There is also need to reduce the estimation of meter reading to minimum
possible
Remittance of Bills
Timeliness and accuracy of remittance processing is critical to good
service. Effective processing requires equipment that is appropriately
matched to the type and volume of the payments. Remittance equipment
must provide high speed, high volume processing, total accuracy and
reliable links to the billing system.
7.5 Information and Control Systems Technologies

Integrating information and control system technologies (IT) are valuable
tools for improving efficiency in operations. They play an important role in
achieving and managing a higher level of performance and improved
efficiency
by
increasing
productivity
in
the
Board.
Some
of
the
technologies that the Board may apply include;
Real time control systems for process and equipment monitoring and
control
Information Management Systems
Maintenance
Management
Systems
for
Streamlined
Facility
Maintenance
Laboratory Information Management System for management of

data.
Information System for maintaining knowledge and

documentation
103
digitized
Planning for New Information Technology

It is obvious that there is a rapid, accelerating change in information
technology. As a result some technologies become obsolescent. In this
regard the Board needs to adopt a unique combination of strategies which
may include the following;
Developing and following a strategic plan with objectives that will

provide
direction
and
sustain
multiple
years
of
technology
investment.
Designing technology solutions to achieve objectives from the users

perspective. This implies that first of al the Board must understand
user needs, skill level requirements and how technology will be
accepted.
Selecting, scoping and organising projects to be implemented in four

to six months thereby avoiding long project time frames that have a
significant potential for midstream obsolescence.
Implementing integrated technology that address specific needs and

not perceived needs. Measurement of improvements from IT
investment should be conducted.
Providing Technology Support Systems and personnel to sustain

investment and maintain user acceptance. Responsive and effective
support to IT problems is important to sustain user confidence and
continued reliance on the system as a reliable resource.
Using realistic depreciation. Three year amortisation may be

suggested.
Considering buying or leasing strategies to fit the Boards budget

structures.
Some of the technologies that the Board may adopt are outlined
below.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

104
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) automation system

provide real time monitoring and control of equipment and processes. As
indicated above the SCADA technology has been changing. Early systems
used tones and pulse signals, radio or telephone communication to
monitor tank levels and to start and stop pumps. Current technology is
using computers with graphical user interface (GUI), programmable logic
controllers and remote telemetry units for automatic control. The SCADA
systems provide a lot of benefits, some of them are indicated below.
Equipment start-up, operation and shut-down sequences of the

treatment works can be automated, which provides improved
process control and efficiency, with resulting quality and cost
benefits.
Operators can be released from routine manual operations to attend

to other critical tasks
Monitoring and control of energy and chemicals.
Real time monitoring of tank levels, water quality and pressure in the
distribution systems.
Easy identification of equipment failure.
While it is appreciated that the Board has not implemented the SCADA
systems, the technology is very vital. There is need to implement it and
integrate it with other network based applications such as:
Advanced logging and notification systems that use alarm filtering,

response rules and paging or E-mail notification to reach mobile or
remote workers.
Online operations guides and support material keyed to SCADA

system events to provide context-sensitive reference material.
Simulation and decision support models, including those based on

neutral network technology (a form of artificial intelligence), that
receive continuous real time data feeds, and that continuously adapt
their algorithms to on-going plant and systems experiences.
105
Remote access methods that open up the full range of SCADA

system monitoring and control functions to remote users with
conventional computers and modems.
Management Information System (MIS)

Effective management requires responsive and accurate information to
enable decision making and monitoring the status of the Board. A good
Management Information System
should be capable of meeting full
information needs of management including the following;
cost tracking and control,

purchasing and accounts payable,
personnel tracking,
asset inventory and tracking
accounting management
use of data to produce special reports in a timely fashion
Geographic Information System

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is computer-based tool for
mapping and analysing objects and events that happen on earth. GIS
integrates common database operations such as query and statistical
analysis with unique visualisation and geographic analysis benefits offered
by maps. Because GIS stores data on thematic layers linked together
geographically, desperate data sources can be combined to determine
relationships between data and to synthesise new information.
GIS can be used for tasks like;
proximity analysis ( identifying customers within a certain distance

of a particular network node)
overlay analysis (determining all junctions that are completely

within a particular zoning area)
Network Analysis (identifying all households impacted by water

main break)
106
Visualisation
(displaying
and
communicating
master
plans
graphically)
Maintaining accurate system maps and related information on the

system features.
Analysing watershed or water source management and protection

alternatives.
Providing a graphical interface to system simulation models
Providing
graphical
interface
for
customer
service
and
maintenance management functions.
Optimising routes for meter reading and main flushing.
Geographically analysing system data such as rates, lost water,

main breaks, pipeline flow rates and water quality.
Maintenance Management
It can prove to be a significant opportunity to improve the effectiveness of
operations
and
maintenance
by
implementing
computerised
maintenance management system (CMMS). CMMS can help streamline a

variety of laborious functions including supplier identification, quote
management, proactive spare parts and supplies ordering and reliabilitybased preventative maintenance planning.
Information Access and Document Management
With recent rapid adoption of internet technologies, businesses have
focused on providing employees with online access to information that was
previously locked up in paper manuals. The potential benefits of intranets
are significant because the technology can be in many areas including;
Management information (MIS)
Online publishing of operations and maintenance procedures as well

as
access
to
supporting
materials
contractors
107
from
manufacturers
and
Publishing and updating of policies, benefits information and related

human resources materials.
Access to accurate employee and location phone/fax directories
Shared
meeting
calendars
including
room
management
and
administration
and
audio/visual resources
Computer-based
training
with
centralised
instructor support.
Gateway access to SCADA, Maintenance Management and other

similar systems.
Customer Service and Billing

Customer Service and Billing Systems are used to enhance superior
customer service, support and communications. The opportunities that the
Board may take advantage of under this include;
Enhancing response to leaks in customer and the Boards systems
Automatic payment of customer account bills through direct bank

account debits.
Providing the customer with continuing audits of usage.
7.6 Creating an Energy Efficient Utility

Electric energy is a critical resource to the Board both because of its
fundamental role in water treatment and delivery and because it
represents a significant expense on the part of the Board. It is therefore
important to come up with strategies on how best to utilise this resource
(optimisation of energy utilisation) that can result in significant cost
savings while ensuring that the Boards core mission of delivering potable
water and protecting public health and safety will continue to be met
without compromise.
For the Board to optimise energy utilisation there is need to develop a new
focus on time-of-day energy use and new approach to planning and
scheduling. There is need to understand how ESCOM delivers its power to
the Board, the pricing mechanisms and the restructuring that is likely to
108
take place in energy delivery services. There is need to understand

alternative sources that can be utilised, load management flexibility and
demand management incentives. There is also need to understand the
functionality, operational modes and efficiencies of equipment that utilise
energy in the Boards system. The following steps describe how to
understand various issues related to energy utilisation.
1. Benchmarking and tracking monthly and annual energy use;
2. Identifying and prioritizing energy operations and issues that can
increase efficiency;
3. Identifying energy efficiency objectives and targets in addition to ISO
14001certification;
4. Defining the performance indicator(s) to use to measure progress
towards the Boards energy targets;
5. Establishing energy management programs (i.e., action plans to
meet the Boards goals);
6. Monitoring and measuring the performance of the Boards
established target(s);
7. Documenting and communicating success; and
8. Reviewing
progress
periodically
and
making
adjustments
as
necessary.
For the Board to become an energy efficient utility it has to assess the
following elements;
Assessing capital investment and operations practices related to

energy using equipment such as motors, starter devices, variable
speed drivers, water storage, building HVAC lighting treatment plant
etc.
Exploring opportunities for automated approach to system controls

and decision making. Many control systems minimise energy costs
while improving overall water system performance and cost without
109
any additional investment in more efficient equipment. SCADA and

decision support can prove to be effective.
Making energy a focal point in the Board. This implies including

energy purchases and energy related capital investment in the list of
priority issues
Exploring options of purchasing energy from ESCOM.
Adding staff expertise with energy experience.
Steps to becoming an energy efficient utility

1 Perform an efficiency assessment. This defines major power uses
with the Boards system, when power is used during the day and how
the profile change with the day of the week
2 Evaluate Energy Supply Options. In some countries there are more
than one supplier for energy. However, in Malawi on ESCOM supplies
energy.
3 Prepare an Energy Management Plan. The plan should identify the
Boards mission and goals, key performance measures related to
electric energy and strategy regarding commitment to energy
efficiency.
110
CHAPTER 8
CAPITAL INVESTMENT REQUIREMENTS
8.0 Proposed Capital Investment Program 2009 to 2014

In order to address the critical shortfalls under situation analysis, and at
the same time adopt measures for improving performance in key
functional areas up to 2014, the Board has come up with a 5 year capital
investment program. This program will ensure that new facilities are put in
place in cases where new facilities are required to meet future water
demand or in cases where existing structures are adequate but have
deteriorated,
the existing structures shall have to be repaired or
renewed. The capital investment program presents a realistic level of

investment to address key issues affecting the efficient operation in the
provision of water supply and sanitation services in the planned,
unplanned and peri-urban areas of the city.
In addition, the structure of the program complements the Governments
policy and commitment to significant institutional restructuring within the
urban water sector, with the support of the European Investment Bank
(EIB) and the World Bank.
The aims of the capital investment program are:
111
To meet the required demand up to the projected period (2014) and

expanding the system to carter for most low-income areas that are
currently not serviced.
To ensure operational optimisation and improvement in performance

efficiency.
To ensure Water demand management is implemented as a means

of delaying capital expenditure on water infrastructure.
To ensure that the Catchment is managed properly for sustainance

of the community.
To ensure that the treatment facilities operate according to design

capacities by minimising losses and improving efficiency at the same
time meet water quality standards.
To ensure efficient utilisation of energy i.e. implementation of energy

management program.
To ensure that planned maintenance programs can be implemented

to elongate the design life of system facilities and sustain the
Boards operations.
To ensure that customer services are delivered in the most efficient

and effective manner.
To ensure that head-works facilities are stable and operate as

efficiently as possible
To ensure that the impact of HIV/AIDS is reduced amongst working

force
8.1 Capital
Projects
Programme No.2
Under
National
Water
Development
Table below summarizes the capital costs of the proposed investment

program under the National Water Development Program No 2- Urban
Component in Euro and Malawi Kwacha
112
113
National Water Development Projects No. 2 (Urban Component)

No
Component
Water Supply Capacity &

Efficiency Improvements
Rehabilitation of Kamuzu Dam 1
Rehabilitation of Water treatment Plant
1
Rehabilitation of Booster Stations
Rehabilitation of Reservoirs
Total Water Supply & capacity
Improvement
Non Revenue Water Reduction

Peri-Urban Areas Water Supply &
Sanitation
Water Supply to Low Income Areas
Sanitation for Low Income Areas
Total - Peri-Urban Areas Water Supply
& Sanitation
Other Project Costs

PSP Transaction Advisor
Service Contract
Project Management Unit
HIV/AIDS Impact Reduction Programme
Access to Water Facility
114
MK
million
Euros 000
% Base
Costs
111
455
257
214
564
2,315
1,309
1,089
4.5%
18.3%
10.4%
8.6%
1,036
5,277
41.8%
217
1,102
8.7%
412
149
2,134
771
6.9%
6.1%
560
2,134
23.0%
19
479
25
20
81
100
2,400
125
100
420
0.8%
19.0%
1.0%
0.8%
3.3%
Fund(Revolving Fund)
Support to NGOs in Low Income Areas
Total Other Project Costs
41
210
1.7%
664
3,355
26.5%
BASE COSTS early-2006 Constant

Prices
Price Contingencies
TOTAL Current Prices
Interest During Construction
GRAND TOTAL
2,478
185
12,639
933
100.0%
7.4%
2,663
110
2,773
13,572
531
14,102
107.4%
4.2%
111.6%
115
8.2 Proposed Capital Projects Based On Identified Gaps and Shortfalls
N
o
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Description of Capital
Project
3500m DN 800 Pumping Main
from TW 2 to Mwenda
Identify the bottleneck in the
filtration for TW2
(Short Term)
Linking TW2 to Mwenda
Pumping main
(Short Term)
Rejoining disjunctured main to
Mwenda (Short Term)
from Mwenda to Tsabango
(Long Term)
from Mwenda to Ngwenya
(Short Term)
from NBS to Kanengo
(Long Term)
from Kanengo to Sandula
(Medium Term)
Construction of Additional
Tower in Area 9
116
Cost
2.0 Million
US$
0.5million U$
250 US$
250 US$
1.5 Million
U$
1 Million U$
3 Million U$
2 Million U$
1.5 million
U$
2009
201
0
201
1
201
2
2013
201
4
N
o
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Project
(Short Term) Cost-benefit
analysis required to come up
with correct tank type
Water Storage Reservoir at
Mwenda
(Short Term to Medium term)
Water Storage at Tsabango
Construction of Chikungu
Tower
(Short Term)
Construction of Chikungu
Ground Reservoir
(Medium to Long Term)
Additional Raw Water Source
(Short Term)
Additional Treatment Plant for
Diamphwe Water Source
(Short Term)
Upgrading of Mwenda Highlift
pumps
(Short to Medium Term)
Plant Instrumentation (meters,
level indicators, telemetry
system and partial automation
(Short Term)
Construction additional
storage reservoir at
117
Cost
3 Million U$
3 Million U$
1.5 Million
U$
4.5 Million
US$
20 million U$
10 million U$
0.2 million
US$
0.2 million
US$
2 million U$
2009
201
0
201
1
201
2
2013
201
4
N
o
19
20
Project
Chayamba
(Medium Term)
Construction of additional
storage reservoir at Sandula
(Medium Term)
Procurement and installation
of additional pump set at
Kanengo
(Medium Term)
Totals
118
Cost
3.0 million
US$
0.5 million
US$
59.4005mill
ion US$
2009
201
0
201
1
201
2
2013
201
4
8.3
Proposed Projects for Enhancing Performance in Key Functional Areas

N
o
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
7
Project
Procurement and Installation
of SCADA Systems and
automation of key operation
(NWDP II)
Instrumentation for Dams and
Reservoirs
(NWDP II)
Upgrading of distribution
Mains in Likuni Zone
(Short Term)
Upgrading of the pumping
station in Likuni Zone
(Short Term)
Study to optimise use of
energy
(Short Term)
Environmental Management
(Continuous)
Staff Training and
Development
(Short Term and Continuous)
Optimisation of Chemical
Consumption
(Short Term)
of bulk meters
(Short Term)
119
Cost
3.0
Million
U$
1.5
Million
U$
1 Million
U$
2 Million
U$
2.5
Million
U$
1.0
million
U$
1.5
Million
U$
1.0
Million
U$
1.5
Million
U$
2009
201
0
201
1
201
2
2013
201
4
N
o
8
Project
of GIS Software (ArcGIS 9.2)
Upgrading of Network
Modelling Software
(Short Term)
of Backwash meters in TW2
(Short Term)
of filter probes in TW2
(Short Term)
Replacement of all AC pipes in
the distribution and
transmission mains
Replacement of old mains that
have been in operation for
more than their design lives
of motorised valves in TW2
(Short Term)
Procurement of two GPS
Handsets
(Medium to long term)
Network Extension in all the
operational zones
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
120
Cost
2.5
Million
US$
2.5
million
US$
0.5
million
US$
0.5
million
US$
2.0
million
US$
1.5
million
US$
0.5
million
US$
0.6millio
n US$
3 million
US$
2009
201
0
201
1
201
2
2013
201
4
N
o
17
18
19
20
Project
Set up an integrated ICT
(short Term)
Procurement of Front-end
Loader
(Short term)
Procurement of Human
Resources Software
(Short Term)
Replacement of old and
dilapidated vehicles
(Continuous)
Totals
121
Cost
500
US$
5000US
$
1000US
$
5millio
n US$
33.606
5
million
US$
2009
201
0
201
1
201
2
2013
201
4
8.4 Financing Plan
In order to finance the proposed investment program, LWB has obtained a

grant of MK 1,331 million (Euros 6.79 million) from the EU Water Facility,
which amounts to 8.4% of the total requirement (or 8% of the total capital
cost in current prices, excluding IDC). The proposed loan from the EIB
would amount to MK 1,441 million (Euros 7.32 million) including IDC, which
constitutes 9.1% of the total.
The indicative financing conditions for the EIB loan are:
i.
interest rate 3% per year;
ii.
grace period 5 years; and
iii.
repayment period 25 years.
Source
EU Water Facility
European Investment
Bank
Total Current Prices
IDC
Sub-total EIB
Total
MK
million
1,331
Euros
000
6,786
Distributi
on (%)
8%
1,331
110
6,786
531
8%
1.1%
1,441
15,822.9
8
7,317
87,905
9.1%
100%
122
CHAPTER 9
ASSETS MANAGEMENT
Asset Management is one of the critical issues that the Board needs to
implement for proper utilization of the facilities.
Figure 16 Pump-one of the Board's Critical Assets
9.1 What is Asset Management

All water systems are made up of assets, some that are buried assets
and others that are visible. These are the physical components of the
system and can include: pipe, valves, tanks, pumps, hydrants, treatment
facilities, and any other components that make up the system. The assets
that make up a water system generally lose value over time as the system
ages and deteriorate. Along with this deterioration, it may be more difficult
to deliver the type of service that the utilitys customers want. Costs of
operation and maintenance generally increase with the assets age. Then,
the utility may be faced with excessive costs that it can no longer afford.
There is an approach to managing the assets of the system that can assist
the utility with making better decisions on managing these aging assets.
This approach is called Asset Management. The techniques involved in
asset management have been refined by the international community,
particularly in Australia and New Zealand. The International Infrastructure
123
Management Manual defines the goal of asset management as meeting a

required level of service in the most cost -effective way through the
creation, acquisition, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and disposal
of assets to provide for present and future customers. A community, water
utility should care about managing its assets in a cost effective manner for
several reasons
1)
these types of assets represent a major public or private
investment;
2)
well -run infrastructure is important in economic development;
3)
proper operation and maintenance of a utility is essential for public

health and safety;
4)
utility assets provide an essential customer service; and
5)
asset management promotes efficiency and innovation in the

operation of the system.
The intent of asset management is to ensure the long -term sustainability

of the water utility. By helping a utility manager make better decisions on
when it is most appropriate to repair, replace, or rehabilitate particular
assets and by developing a long-term funding strategy, the utility can
ensure its ability to deliver the required level of service perpetually.
9.2 Benefits of Asset Management
There are many positive benefits of asset management. Systems that fully
embrace asset management principles may achieve many or all of these
benefits. However, systems may receive some of these benefits just by
starting asset management. The benefits of asset management include,
but are not limited to, the following:
Better operational decisions
Improved emergency response
Greater ability to plan and pay for future repairs and replacements
Increased knowledge of the location of the assets
Increased knowledge of what assets are critical to the utility and

which
ones arent.
124
More efficient operation
Better communication with customers
Rates based on sound operational information
Increased acceptance of rates
Capital improvement projects that meet the true needs of the

system
Improved security and safety of assets.
Meeting service expectations and regulatory requirements
Prolonged asset life and aiding in rehabilitate/ repair/replacement

decisions
through
efficient
and
focused
operations
and
maintenance.
Budgeting focused on activities critical to sustain performance.
Meeting consumer demands with focus on system sustainability.
Systems should strive to achieve as many benefits as they can with their
asset management program.
9.3 Core Components of Asset Management
There are five core components of asset management. These components
are indicated below;
Asset Inventory
Level of Service
Critical Assets
Life Cycle Costing
Long-term Funding Strategy
9.3.1 Asset Inventory

Issues that arise under asset inventory include the following;
Determination of What Lilongwe Water Board owns. This includes

a) establishing who was operating, managing and/or owning the
system at the time of the major construction periods (when a
large number of assets were put in.) The operators should be
125
interviewed to gather as much information as possible

regarding their recollections of what assets were installed and
where they were installed. If there are maps of the system,
these can be used during the discussions.
b) Examining any as-built or other engineering drawings of the
system
c) Visual observations of above-ground or visible assets (e.g.,
hydrants, pumps, manholes, treatment works)
d) Interviewing community residents who may have lived in the
area during construction and who are familiar with the
construction activities (especially helpful in very small towns in
which the residents were actively involved in developing the
utility)
e) Estimates on buried assets using above ground assets as a
guide (e.g. using manholes to estimate locations, size, and
type of pipe between the manholes; using isolation valve
locations to estimate buried water pipe locations)
Determining where assets are. This includes two issues as follows;

a) Mapping the assets
b) Putting a location in the inventory
Assessing the condition of assets.
Assessing the remaining life of assets
Assessing the values of the assets
Organizing the asset inventory.
9.3.2 Level of Service

This defines the way the Board intends to operate the system to perform
over the long term. In some countries utilities make agreements with
customers on the level of service they can afford in specific areas e.g. 24
hours a day and at a specified pressure. The level of service must match
126
with the charges a utility imposes on customers. The level of service is a

multi-faceted tool that can fulfill a wide array of purposes as described
below;
Communicate the systems operation to the customers (residential,

industrial, or commercial)
Determine critical assets
Provide a means of assessing overall system performance
Provide a direct link between costs and service
Serve as an internal guide for system management and operations

staff
Provide information for system annual report or annual meeting

presentation
Reduce system costs through customer involvement
Examples of items that can be included in the Level of Service include, but
are not limited to the following:
a) Number of breaks per mile that are acceptable
b) Length of time from report of a leak or break until repair
c) Amount of notification (and method) prior to a scheduled shut
down
d) Amount of notification (and method) prior to a non -scheduled
but non-emergency shutdown
e) Quantity of unplanned interruptions in service verses planned
interruptions
f) Number of hours to fix the pipe break once on site
g) System losses maintained at less than X% overall
h) Maximum system flow will be X lpd
i) No detection of TC or EC at the source
j) Water pressure will be maintained throughout the system at X
newtons per square meter
k) Rates will be raised annually to avoid rate shock in the system
l) Rates will be reviewed annually
127
m) Storage capacity will be maintained at X gallons total

n) No water outage will be longer than X hours total
o) Customers will be notified of planned system outages at least
X hours or X days before the interruption
p) Customers will be notified at least X minutes prior to shut
down for an emergency condition, unless life threatening
conditions cause a need for immediate shut down
q) Water conservation will be instituted to reduce average daily
use by X percent in Y years
9.3.3 Critical Assets
Not all assets in the Boards system are critical. Some assets are highly
critical to operations while others are not critical at all. The following steps
may help to identify critical assets within the Boards system.
9.3.3.1
Determining criticality of the asset
This deals with establishing the likelihood of failure of an asset and

establishing the consequences of failure. The likelihood of failure can be
established by considering the following issues
Asset age
Asset condition
Failure history
Historical knowledge
General experience with the asset
Knowledge of how the asset is likely to fail
The consequences of failure can be analysed by looking into the following

issues.
Cost of repair
Social cost related to loss of the asset
Repair/ replacement cost related to collateral damage caused by

failure
Legal costs related to additional damage caused by the failure

128
Environmental costs related to the failure
Reduction in level of service
Other costs associated with failure or loss of an asset.
9.3.3.2
Assessing Criticality
The assets that have the greatest likelihood of failure and the greatest
consequences are the most critical.
9.3.3.3 Critical Analysis over time
This takes into consideration the fact that assets change over time and
consequences of failure changes too. Costs of repair may go up. The
community relying on the asset may grow. New roads may be built or
similar factors may occur implying that the consequences of failure may
change.
9.3.4 Life Cycle Costing
Life Cycle Asset Management focuses on management options and
strategies considering all relevant economic and physical consequences,
from initial planning through to asset disposal. The lifecycle components
include
Asset Planning
Asset Creation/ Acquisition/ Design
Financial Management
Asset Operation and Maintenance
Asset Condition and Performance Monitoring
Asset Rehabilitation / Renewal
Asset Disposal
Asset Audit and Review
9.3.4.1
Options of dealing with assets over time
There are four options of dealing with the actual assets over time.
129
Operating and Maintaining the existing assets
Repairing the assets as they fail
Rehabilitating the assets
Replacing the assets
These options are intimately connected to each other. Each of these has
got
cost
implications.
Generally,
the
most
expensive
option
is
replacement.
Operation and maintenance functions relate to the day to-day running
and upkeep of assets and are particularly relevant to short-lived dynamic
assets such as pumps where deterioration through lack of maintenance
may result in rapid failure. Properly operating and maintaining assets is
critical to the success of the overall program.
Operating procedures can be classified as
a) Standard Operating Procedure which is most common, typically used
during normal operations, day-to-day.
b) Alternative Operating Procedure which is used when operational
conditions require that an asset or process be modified or taken offline, scheduled, periodic.
c) Emergency Operating
Procedure which is used in emergency
conditions, incorporated into overall emergency plan developed for

the Board.
Maintenance Procedures can be classified as
a) Corrective Maintenance Procedure which is used by field technicians
for the break down and repair of assets that are mal-functioning
b) Preventative Maintenance Procedure which is developed to prevent
breakdown and prolong asset life e.g. lubrication or overhaul.
c) Reliability-centered Maintenance Procedure which is developed to
assist maintenance personnel in predicting asset failures and
lessening effects on the system.
130
9.3.4.2 Depreciation of Assets

The value of the assets change with time regardless of whatever option is
adopted in dealing with the assets over time. Depreciation can be defined
as the gradual decrease in utility of fixed assets with use and time.
Depreciation can be classified into categories of physical and functional.
Physical Depreciation is the reduction in the assets capacities to perform
intended services due to physical impairment. On the other hand
Functional Depreciation occurs as a result of changes in the organization
or in technology that decrease or eliminate the need for an asset.
Factors inherent to depreciation are
a) Depreciable property
b) Cost basis
c) Useful life and salvage value
Depreciation methods can be divided into two different ways depending on
the intended use of the calculation. Book Depreciation is applied for
financial reporting while Tax Depreciation is applied for Internal Revenue
Service.
Common methods for depreciating assets include the following;
Straight line Method
Declining Balance Method
Sum of Years Digits or the SOYD Method
Unit Production Method
MACRS Depreciation for tax purposes
9.3.4.3
Capital
Improvement
Planning
related
to
Asset
Management
A long-term capital improvement plan which is part of the investment
program of the Corporate Plan should look at the Boards Asset
management needs for the future. There are several categories of capital
improvements that must be considered.
131
Capital needs related to future or upcoming regulations
Capital needs related to major asset replacement
Capital needs related to System Expansion
Capital needs related to System Consolidation or Regionalization.
Capital needs related to improved technology
9.4 Some Fixed Assets Management Measures within the Board
The Board maintains a plant maintenance workshop with adequate

equipment and facilities to carry out repairs promptly to the Boards
plant and machinery.
The Board maintains a Motor Vehicle Workshop for maintaining its

fleet to ensure that it is able to meet its transport needs and respond
timely to problems.
The Board also intends to invite Dam experts at least once every 5
years to assess the structural integrity of the dams. The dam experts
shall assist the Board in coming up with remedial measures that
have to be taken by the Board in order to ensure that the dams are
managed properly.
Apart from this through the Integrated Information Technology

Management the Board will establish and maintain and information
Management System to assist the Board and Management make
informed technical decisions on assets management. Through the
Integrated ITC and MIS the Board intends to take a proactive
approach in management of its assets especially for those assets
that keep breaking down in order to be able develop long term
solutions and reduce expenditure on maintenance.
132
CHAPTER 10
FINANCE, FINANCING AND CHARGES
10.0 General
Lilongwe Water Board often needs to borrow money in order to finance
major capital works programs because such works are too large to be
financed by the revenues. Borrowing implies that the capital plus interest
are paid back from predicted future cash flows spread over the repaying
period.
The Board is supposed to operate as a commercial entity charging at full
cost recovery plus interest for the services it renders to its customers.
Currently, it is the Government that controls adjustment of tariffs. The
Board proposes tariff regime after analyzing operational costs and
inflation. This is done to ensure full cost recovery. However, the
Government makes a final decision and sometimes proposed tariffs are
reduced. At the mean time, every proposal including budgets submitted to
the Government is based on full cost recovery. This implies that once the
Government complies with the proposal, full cost recovery will be put into
effect.
The traditional financing arrangement has been Lilongwe Water Board
borrowing money from an international financing institution directly with
Malawi Government as a guarantor. Alternatively the Malawi Government
has been borrowing money from the financial institutions and disburses
the money to different sectors according to Government priority. Under
this set up Lilongwe Water Board was expected to repay the loan
according to the conditions agreed upon.
10.1
Financial Objectives of the Board
The financial objectives of the Board are as follows:
To achieve full cost recovery.
To achieve financial and economic viability and sustainability

implying that the tariffs must be good enough to enable the Board to
133
sustain its operations and maintenance programs for efficient

delivery of its services to customers.
To ensure that effective and efficient revenue management system,

procedures and facilities are in place in accordance with the Public
Finance Act No. 7 of 2003.
To ensure that appropriate systems are in place to permit the

collection, classification and analysis of costs across the Boards
sphere of operations for the purposes of management planning and
control in support for the commercial and financial objectives.
10.2
Regulations and Procedures for Implementation of Tariff

Adjustment
For purposes of setting and reviewing tariffs related to water and

sanitation services, the Government sets a Tariff Review Committee which
comprise representatives from the following;
Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development,
Ministry of Statutory Corporations,
Ministry of Finance,
National Economic Council,
Regional Water Boards
Customer Association of Malawi
10.3
Loans and Debt Restructuring
The Board intends to borrow funds for implementation of major capital

works programs from international financing institutions such as the World
Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the African Development Bank
etc while revenues will be used for paying operational and maintenance
costs, implementation of minor works as well as servicing the outstanding
134
debts including interest charges if applicable. However past experience

indicate that the Board was not servicing debts because of the following
reasons amongst others;
Depreciation of the local currency ( the Kwacha)
Tariff charges have generally been lower than expected
Poor cash flows from operations
The Board submitted a debt restructuring proposal to the Malawi

Government for consideration. In this proposal, the Government was
requested to take over all loans that were lent to Lilongwe Water Board
and convert them into equity.
There are a number of other variables that should be highlighted:
Domestic inflation in line with the latest World Bank estimates,

domestic inflation is projected as follows: 5.7% p.a. 2009 to 2012;
and 3.5% p.a. thereafter.
International inflation projected at the long-term rate of 2.5% per

year.
Exchange rates the different inflation rates imply that the Malawi
Kwacha will continue to decline against the Euro, but at a slower rate
as the performance of the national economy continues to improve.
The projected exchange rates for the Euro are: MK180 in 2009; MK
207 in 2010; and MK 227 in 2015.
10.4
Financial Performance 2009 to 2014
With debt restructuring and a positive tariff policy that will be negotiated
with the Water Regulator, LWB should emerge from significant annual
losses to a more positive financial position in three to four years. From a
reported loss of MK 138 million in 2007 (1 st July 2007 to 30th June 2008),
the projections indicate that net income will rise to MK 39 million in 2008
and MK 200 million in 2010.
135
The recovery will be supported by effective control of direct operating

expenses (especially electricity through energy management program,
chemicals
through
maintenance
optimization
through
of
maintenance
chemical
use,
management
operations
and
program
and
administrative costs) and significant staff reduction through automation

and improvements in staff productivity (i.e. planned reductions in staff
numbers per 1,000 connections).
On the revenue side, tariffs for all customer categories are forecast to
increase by 8% per year over the next four years from 2009 to 2011.
These increases are higher than the projected rate of inflation, but are
necessary to ensure that the revitalized LWB becomes and remains a
financially sustainable enterprise in accordance with the guiding principle
of full cost recovery as set out in the Waterworks Act No. 17 of 1995. Table
7.0 below illustrates that average water tariffs will increase in current
prices (i.e. including projected inflation) from MK 41 per m 3 in 2007 to MK
52 per m3 by 2010. However, in constant prices the average tariff is
expected to remain more or less stable at MK 35 to 37 per m3.
Table 7.0 also presents a range of important financial indicators that
demonstrate the sustained recovery in the financial health of LWB:
Operating ratio declines progressively from 103% in 2007 to 80%

by 2010
Rate of return improves from 4% in 2007 to 3% by 2010
Debt service coverage ratio remains satisfactory at 1.8 in 2008 and

3.5 in 2015
The key figures from the basic financial model are summarized in the table
below
136
Component
Population & Service

Coverage
Total Population
Formal Urban Areas
Peri-Urban Areas
Service Coverage
Total
Formal Urban Areas
Peri-Urban Areas
% Service Coverage
Total
Formal Urban Areas
Peri-Urban Areas
Water Supply
Water Supply
Connections
Water Production
Billed Water Sales
Non Revenue Water
Staffing Level
Average Tariffs
Current Prices
Constant Prices
Unit
000
000
000
000
000
000
%
%
%
000
m3
million
m3
million
%
No./1,00
0con
MK/m3
MK/m3
Actual
Projections
200
5
200
6
200
7
200
8
200
9
201
0
201
1
2015
66
3
30
4
35
9
70
1
32
1
38
0
74
2
34
0
40
3
78
6
35
9
42
7
83
1
37
9
45
2
88
0
40
1
47
9
93
5
42
6
50
9
1,19
0
543
647
47
7
28
0
19
7
51
0
29
8
21
3
54
6
31
7
22
9
58
4
33
7
24
7
62
5
35
8
26
7
66
8
38
1
28
7
71
7
40
6
31
0
72
%
95
%
55
%
73
%
93
%
56
%
74
%
93
%
57
%
74
%
94
%
58
%
75
%
94
%
59
%
76
%
95
%
60
%
77
%
95
%
61
%
24.
0
28.
8
19.
5
32
%
19
25.
1
29.
2
20.
4
30
%
20
26.
3
29.
8
21.
4
28
%
18
30.
8
30.
9
22.
8
26
%
16
35.
4
32.
0
24.
3
24
%
13
40.
1
33.
2
25.
9
22
%
10
44.
8
34.
5
27.
6
20
%
9
54.5
41.4
33.1
20%
41
41
41
38
43
37
46
37
49
37
52
37
52
35
51
29
137
947
527
421
80%
97%
65%
Component
Income
Unit
Actual
Projections
200
5
200
6
200
7
200
8
200
9
201
0
201
1
2015
MK
million
MK
million
79
5
14
8
82
8
-34
92
6
-10
1,0
48
-3
1,1
87
2
1,3
44
19
1,4
24
18
1,68
8
14
MK
million
MK
million
MK
million
MK
million
64
7
63
5
11
10
5
79
4
72
2
72
12
3
91
6
76
9
14
8
12
4
1,0
45
85
9
18
6
14
0
1,1
89
88
3
30
6
17
9
1,3
63
87
0
49
3
20
3
1,4
42
94
2
49
9
21
4
1,70
2
1,27
4
427
217
MK
million
MK
million
-94
76
-51
16
24
7
46
7
12
7
6
28
9
4
28
6
2
210
41
MK
million
MK
million
MK
million
17
0
-32
13
8
-67
0
16
0
39
0
12
2
0
28
6
86
28
4
85
169
51
-67
16
39
12
2
20
0
19
9
118
MK/m3
MK/m3
35
51
32
46
31
44
34
46
35
45
33
42
34
43
38
47
%
%
%
%
80
%
10
3%
21
%
4%
87
%
10
4%
8%
2%
10.
83
%
97
%
2%
0%
20.
6
1.8
82
%
96
%
4%
1%
1.8
2.1
74
%
90
%
10
%
2%
2.9
3.0
65
%
80
%
15
%
3%
5.1
4.7
66
%
81
%
14
%
3%
5.3
6.1
76%
91%
7%
2%
3.8
15.3
&
Expenditure
Statement
Current Prices
Revenue
Water Sales
Other Net Income
Total Revenue
Direct Operating
Expenses
Net Operating Income
(Loss)
Depreciation
Net Income (Loss)
before Interest Charges
Interest Charges
Net Income (Loss) after
Interest Charges
Income Tax (Credit)
Net Income after Tax
Unit Costs Current
Prices
Average Costs
Production
Average Costs Billed
Water Sales
Financial Ratios
Working Ratio
Operating Ratio
Profit Margin
Rate of Return
Debt Service Coverage
Ratio
Current Ratio
138
Component
Unit
Actual
Projections
200
5
200
6
0.5
7
1.1
200
7
200
8
200
9
201
0
201
1
2015
Table Projections of Operational and Financial Performance 2005 -2015
10.5
Financial Risks
The Board faces a lot of potential financial risks and amongst them are the
following:
Political instability can easily interrupt the Boards operations;
Unsound macroeconomic policies may hamper the Boards

borrowing capabilities including operations and maintenance;
Delays in taking off of major capital works programs may affect the
Boards service delivery;
Disapproval of proposed tariff increases by the Government implies

that the Board may not achieve cost recovery;
Reluctance by the Government to act as a guarantor for loans;
Lack of autonomy on the part of the Board;
Loans not awarded in time or not awarded at all;
Non-payment culture by customers;
High operational and maintenance costs;
Inability to afford the cost of water by some category of customers;
139
CHAPTER 11
SECTOR REFORMS
11.0 General
The Government of Malawi realizing the important role that
water plays in social and economic development of the
country is committed to ensuring that water is managed
efficiently and that there are improvements in the delivery of
water services. To this effect, Government identified irrigation
and water development as one of the 6 key priority areas in
the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS).The
MGDS seeks to improve access to clean water and sanitation
in line with the Millennium Development Goal number 7 of
ensuring that the population without access to safe water is
halved by 2015.
As part of its agenda to improve the efficiency of productive
enterprises and to reduce the public sector burden, the
Government of Malawi (GoM) identified LWB as one of the
candidate for private sector participation. With support from
the World Bank and the Public-Private Infrastructure Facility
(PPIAF), the GoM contracted Consultants to undertake a
Private Sector Participation (PSP) Options Study for the LWB
and Blantyre Water Board (BWB) in 2001. The studies
recommended that both LWB and BWB move forward with a
two-phase process leading to a Lease Contract for water
supply in the two service areas.
The first phase of the process would entail a program
of
sectoral
reforms
to
include
debt
refinancing,
development of investment priorities, tarif and pricing

restructuring and other activities designed to improve
the attractiveness of the opportunity and the potential
for sustainable improvement in the sector.
140
Water Board
Lilongwe
The second phase of the process would include the

implementation of the Lease Contract with a Private
Operator.
While the study demonstrated that a Lease Contract holds
the most potential for satisfying sectoral objectives, it is
equally
clear
that
the
preconditions
for
sustainable
improvement in the sector are not yet present and that PSP
alone is neither feasible nor beneficial without attention to
broad reform of the water sector and restructuring of the
Boards. The GoM has therefore taken the decision to
implement sector reform in a phased manner, starting with
the following activities:
Manage a program of sectoral reform and undertake
restructuring by creating an Asset Holding Company
(AHC) and Private Limited Company (PLC);
Create a regulatory framework appropriate for the
sector in place;
Design and award performance contracts, between
Government and Asset Holding Company (AHC), Public
Limited Company (PLC);
Involve local private sector in operating utility fed small
networks, water kiosks, public stand pipes etc. and;
Design service contracts between PLC and service
contractors for the areas of; (i) financial management,
(ii)
commercial
management,
including
customer
relations, billing and collection; and (iii) non revenue

water management.
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Water Board
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In line with the new developments that have taken place in

the
water
sector
Management
Policy
since
and
the
1994,
Strategies
Water
was
Resources
reviewed
and
approved by Government including the adoption of concepts

on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in 2000,
the Malawi Government developed a National Water Policy
which was adopted in August 2005 that recognizes the role
the private sector play in the provision of sustainable water
and sanitation services.
11.1 Restructuring
In a bid to achieve better performance, the Board is expected
to be restructured as briefly outlined below:
11.1.1
Asset Holding Company
The Asset Holding Company will be responsible for

development and management of all assets owned by the
Board.
11.1.2
Private Operating Limited Company
The private operator, through a service contract, will be

responsible for water treatment, transmission, storage to
required levels and distribution to the target areas. The
operator will also be responsible for customer management.
It is anticipated that the asset holding company, LWB and the
private operator will combine effectively to secure the
delivery of key operational targets for the Lilongwe Water
Board.
11.1.3
Water Regulator
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Water Board
Lilongwe
The Water Regulator will be responsible for making policies

and regulating the operations of the water sector in the
country. The Water Regulator will ensure that
abstraction levels are in line with environmental
requirements;
water treatment meets the required water quality
standards;
water
transmission,
storage
and
distribution
are
environmental friendly and meet the requirements of

the target population.
The Water Regulator will also be responsible for tariff
adjustments
and
act
as
an
arbitrator
in
case
of
disagreements amongst various stakeholders.
11.2 Sanitation Reforms

There is no sanitation policy in Malawi. Various pieces of
legislation on sanitation, some dating back to the colonial
period, have been used to guide sanitation development in
Malawi. Many of these are now antiquated and irrelevant to
the future development of the country and are not in
harmony.
For example the Waterworks Act 1995 gives
mandate to the Water Boards to operate and provide

waterborne sanitation while the Local Government Act gives
mandate to City Assemblies for the operation of sewerage
sanitation.
A single national sanitation policy is therefore needed to give
guidance to all players and stakeholders on what Malawi feels
it needs in the hygiene and sanitation sector to take it
forward in the 21st Century to reach its 2020 Vision.
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Water Board
Lilongwe
Realizing this need, the GoM is in the process of developing a

National Sanitation Policy which will clearly indicate the
responsible institutions on sanitation. The first draft of the
National Sanitation Policy which was completed in May 2006
proposes that the management of sewage systems and works
in cities be transferred to the Water Boards in line with the
1995 Waterworks Act to ensure proper functioning of
essential services.
11.3 Government Role
Some of the water sector reforms that Government has
instituted are:
Reviewing or developing comprehensive water policies
and laws
Undertaking water sector assessments to ensure that
policy formulation and sector reforms are well grounded
Deducing
fragmentation among the planning and
implementation functions of various water related

institutions (Sector Wide Approach)
Developing cross-sector coordination mechanisms that
can oversee the policy formulation and sector reform
process.
Creating an enabling environment for public-private
partnerships in water supply and sanitation activities
The Board realizes that these sector reforms are going to
have an effect on the way it operates and does business. The
reforms are going to help the Board improve its performance
in the delivery of services and also access much needed
144
Water Board
Lilongwe
capital for financing development projects. This is necessary

for extending water to un-serviced, low income areas as well
as meet demand for the next 5 years. The Board also realizes
that future financial performance is dependent on measures
that will ensure full cost recovery. For this to come true,
autonomy of the Board is in decision making in some areas
e.g. tariff adjustment is a requisite. This will ensure automatic
tariff adjustment in case of need.
11.4 Time Framework

By implementing the above water sector reform programme
in line with the new National Water Policy, the GoM envisages
achieving:
In the short term (by the end of 2009):
AHC and PLCs, financially viable;
Local private sector, operating utility fed small
networks, water kiosks, public stand pipes, etc.;
Regulatory framework appropriate for water sector in
place; and
Performance based service contracts completed.
In the mediumterm (by 2012):
Creation of enabling environment for sustainable
development: consolidation of the reform, including
regulatory framework; and
Opening shareholder structure of PLCs to private
capital.
In the long term (target date, 2015):
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Water Board
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full autonomy of the urban water supply and sanitation

(WSS) sector; and
Government repositioned on policy, strategy, and
regulation
11.5 Risks
Just like any other project that is planned based on certain
assumptions, the envisaged public-private partnership in
water sector has some risks that can be highlighted. The
envisaged water sector reform requires to be approved by
the GoM through the Cabinet. In an effort to create an
enabling environment for the water sector reform, there is a
requirement
that
the
existing
legislation
be
reviewed,
harmonized and amended. Part of the scope of work to be

done to facilitate the creation of an enabling environment will
include:
Reviewing existing legislation which impacts on the

water sector and identifying areas which require
changes in order to enable the envisaged sector
reform,
including
restructuring
of
Water
Boards,
regulation and private sector participation. The legal

instruments to be reviewed and harmonized could
include Waterworks Act, Local Government Act, Forestry
Act, Water Resources Act, and any other relevant Acts;
Reviewing
and
amending
the
Waterworks
Act
to
incorporate the proposed separation of WSS operating

companies and asset holding company(i.e.);
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Water Board
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Amending the existing sector legislation to incorporate

the proposed water sector reform and regulatory
framework;
Amending the existing sector legislation to incorporate

private sector participation in the water sector based
on the National Water Policy.
The final approval of this process will require Parliamentary

approval. Based on the draft amendments of the legislation in
relation to the envisaged water sector reform, the Parliament
can either:
Disapprove the draft amendments to maintain the

status quo; or
Approve with changes. This will change the whole

course of the water sector reform.
Another area of uncertainty which can poise as a risk is the

likelihood of the proposed operating companies (PLCs) to
attract the private sector participation of experienced both
regional and international water companies.
CHAPTER 12
CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND
FUTURE PRIORITIES
12.0 General
There are a number of challenges that the Board is facing and
will continue to face in the short term in the provision of its
services.
12.1 Challenges
Some of these challenges are internal whilst some are
external. Some of these challenges are:
147
Water Board
12.1.1
Lilongwe
Lack of Capital
Water still remains an area generally heavily dependent on

public investment and regulations as such it difficult to
generate capital for expansion to meet the ever increasing
demand of water and sanitation services.
This capital is
needed for major investments such as development of a new

water source, system rehabilitation and expansion. Also,
there is an ever increasing need to provide low-income areas
with adequate water supply services. These areas are
normally located in unplanned areas and the cost of capital is
high and the return on capital from these areas may be low.
12.1.2
High Levels of Non Revenue Water
High levels of non-revenue water leading to high

production rates to meet customer demand.
12.1.3
High Operational Costs
Rising operational costs due to increasing prices of

inputs like power, materials, labour, spare parts etc.
12.1.4
Non Payment Culture
There is non-payment culture by customers. This leads

to low revenue collection as a result the Board is not
able to timely finance its operations and maintenance
programs. This is especially of concern because there
are no charges levied against late payment to reflect
the financial cost of borrowing money.
12.1.5
Low and Controlled Tariff Rates
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Water Board
Lilongwe
Tariff rates are lower than the required rates for full cost
recovery and subject to approval by Government.
Satisfactory tariff levels must provide adequate funds
to meet operations, debt service and capital expansion
requirements but this is not the case with current tariff
rates for Lilongwe Water Board.
12.1.6
High Debt Burden
The Board faces high debt burden due to outstanding

loans (financial costs due to high interest rates and
devaluation of the local currency).
12.1.7
Conflicting Legal Instruments
There are conflicts of legal instruments related to water

and sanitation (e.g. Local Government against the
Waterworks Acts on issues of sanitation).
12.1.8
Absence of Regulations in the Water Sector
There are no regulation for the water sector and weak

enforcement of Regulations and Standards by the
Water Resources Board.
12.1.9
Impact of HIV/AIDS
The impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic resulting in loss of

productive people and high welfare costs is a big
challenge for the Board.
12.1.10
Here
Catchment Degradation
is
heavy
catchment
degradation
due
to
uncontrolled cultivation, poor farming practices and

developments within controlled areas which results in
149
Water Board
Lilongwe
deterioration of raw water quality as well as specific

yield.
12.1.11
Borehole Proliferation
Proliferation of boreholes in the Boards supply area

leads to lack of quality and loss of revenue for LWB.
12.1.12
Inefficiencies
The Board faces challenges related to inefficient

customer management system, maintenance, energy
utilization, chemical utilization, revenue collection, new
water connections etc. For example, Poor collection
efficiency has been mostly blamed on consumers and in
some cases in particular on government institutions.
However, Lilongwe Water Board has also been at fault
for delayed and inaccurate bills, inadequate responses
to consumer's queries on bills, and a unsatisfactory
effort to deal with overdue accounts. Another reason for
poor collection efficiency is the lack of a clear policy to
promote
and
enforce
prompt
payment
(like
disconnecting the service to consumers with arrears of

more than 2 months).
12.1.13
Vandalism
Vandalism and theft of water facilities especially in lowincome and unplanned areas is a big challenge.
12.1.14
Rapid and Uncontrolled Urban Population
Growth
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Water Board
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Rapid uncontrolled Urban population growth has placed

much pressure on the Board because of the need to
expand service to meet the growing demand.
12.2 Future Opportunities

To deal with the challenges identified above the Board has
identified
number
of
measure
meant
to
transform
challenges into opportunities.

12.2.1
Increase
Service
Levels/System
Rehabilitation and Expansion (Increase Customer
Base)
Lilongwe Water Board supplies water through property
connections, standpipes and communal water points
(kiosks). Normally the supply is 24 hours per day unless
there
is
an
interruption
due
to
unforeseen
circumstances.
At
present
water
shortages
are
common
in
the
Southern Zone of the supply area due to overloading of

the existing water storage e.g. Tsabango Reservoir,
Area 23 Tower and Mwenda. The tower is overloaded
because of fast growth of population in the target areas
in recent years.
While fast growth of population has been highlighted as
a challenge, it is also an opportunity to the Board
because it implies an increase in demand which the
Board has to meet through expansion, upgrading and
rehabilitating its facilities. This applies not only to
Southern Zone but to all the zones following the
151
Water Board
Lilongwe
development of the city. In turn this translates into

increased customer base and hence more revenues.
12.2.2
Need to meet water demand to the
projected period and extension of water supply
services to low-income communities.
While rehabilitation works are needed to maintain
design capacities of the various facilities mentioned
above, it is important to take note of the growth of the
city of Lilongwe into the peri-urban areas (areas that
were previously not considered to be part of the city).
This growth means more urban population that need
potable water, more commercial and industrial sites,
more institutions and more demand for sewerage and
sanitation services. Even if design capacities are
maintained, water demand is nevertheless growing.
Most low-income communities are located in areas that
do not have adequate or no water facilities such as
service reservoirs, reticulation networks and water
kiosks. There is need to develop water infrastructure in
these areas if the Board is to achieve one of its
objectives of ensuring adequate supply of potable
water to disadvantaged and low-income communities.
12.2.3
The Environmental Protection
guard of Raw Water Quality
and
Safe
The quality of raw water from Lilongwe River has and

continues to deteriorate at a fast rate necessitating a
rigorous
treatment
process
which
has
increased
chemical costs implications. The perforation of poor

quality water comes from areas between Chigwirizano
152
Water Board
Lilongwe
and Chinsapo. To abate this problem, the Lilongwe

Water Board is carrying out a feasibility study with the
funding
from
World
Bank
to
assess
the
option
transferring raw water from the dams through an

aqueduct. This is expected not only to improve raw
water quality but quantity as well.
12.2.4
Focus on Customer Care
The Board is committed to ensuring that the customer

is provided with the best possible service and that
customer expectations are exceeded. To this effect the
Board is training its staff beginning with frontline staff
on excellent customer care. The Board shall be carrying
out Customer Satisfaction surveys annually in order to
track down customers perceptions and feedback over
time of the service they get from Lilongwe Water Board
and come up with strategies to reverse any negative
outcome.
12.2.5
ISO 9000:2001 Accreditation
The Board shall strive to become an ISO 9000:2001

accredited organization. ISO 9000:2001 is an internationally
recognized
standard
for
an
organisations
total
quality
management. Total Quality Management is a management

approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction.
It is based on the participation of all members of the
organisation in improving processes, products, services and
the culture they work in.
153
Water Board
Lilongwe
Quality can be thought of in terms of the following

characteristics or customer perspectives;
a) Transcendent.
This implies that it possesses innate
excellence. The customer knows when it exists. They

can tell if water tastes good, if water flows from the tap,
if timely and courteous service is provided.
b) User based. This implies that customers realise that the
Boards water is fit for consumption and satisfies
customer expectations and preferences.
c) Standard based. This implies that the Boards services
conform
to
necessary
requirements.
Facilities
are
designed to standards. Water quality meets regulatory

standards.
Environmental,
maintenance
and
supply
safety,
standards
personnel,
are
met
or
exceeded.
d) Value based. This implies that the services that the
Board renders give customers the greatest value for
the lowest price. The Board is efficient and provides a
high standard of service at bargain rate.
e) Product
based. This implies
that quality can be
distinguished in terms of differences in quality of some

desired ingredients. Fluoride is added to water. Levels
of water quality protection are achieved. Levels of
water pressure are provided to customers. Certain
information is provided with customer bills.
Some of the benefits to be realized from ISO 9000:2001
accreditation include:
Improved internal working processes leading to less

errors and re-work
154
Water Board
Lilongwe
Improved customer satisfaction
Improved morale and motivation.
Competitive advantage over others in the water

industry
Increased profitability through reduction of errors
Enhanced status.
In order to achieve total quality management there is need to

measure work process performance. There are a family of
measures designed to reflect process performance. These
include, but not limited to:
Cost measures such as cost per million cubic meters of

water sold, performance within budget and ratios of
input costs to output value.
Customer satisfaction or customer success measures

that are usually qualitative, but can sometimes be
quantitative such as percent positive on a satisfaction
survey, quantity of problems, concerns and complaints
or quality of impact of failures, errors and omissions.
Resource utilisation measures that include features

such as number of labour hours per unit of output,
labour or equipment utilisation and capacity, materials
lost (to waste, rework or errors) and energy use.
Quantity measures such as total production, number of

items produced, decisions made or services rendered.
Service or timeliness measures relating to cycle time,

duration of tasks, delays or labour hours.
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Water Board
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Quality measures which can be related to water quality,

safety, or environmental standards.
Quality of work life, or employee satisfaction measures

that are reflected in safety, performance, absenteeism,
grievances, tardiness, percent positive on an employee
attitude survey and corrective actions.
CHAPTER 13
MONITORING, EVALUATION AND
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
13.0 General
So far the Corporate Plan has established the Boards
mission, vision, core values, long-term goal, objectives in
functional areas and critical gaps that exist in the system. It
has also established the key functional areas including
strategies for enhancing performance. The plan has come up
with investment strategy aimed at improving the Boards
performance
including
the
implementation
schedule.
However, the improvement processes need to be monitored

and evaluated to ensure that they keep the Board on track
towards achieving its objectives and indeed the long-term
goal.
Monitoring is a continuous function that aims at providing
management and other stakeholders with early indicators of
156
Water Board
Lilongwe
progress or lack there of in achieving results of a project or

program under implementation. On the other hand Evaluation
is a selective exercise that attempts to systematically and
objectively assess progress towards and the achievement of
an outcome. Monitoring and Evaluation help to improve
performance and achieve results. Without Monitoring and
Evaluation, it would be impossible to judge if work was going
in the right direction, whether progress and success could be
claimed and how future efforts might be improved.
Nowadays there is a shift from traditional monitoring and
evaluation to result-based monitoring and evaluation. This
implies that instead of focusing on results only the functions
extend to assessing the whole progress towards achieving
the goal i.e. assessing the impacts of outcomes from results
as well. For monitoring to be carried out successfully there is
need to establish Key Performance Indicators. For evaluation
to be carried out there is need to set targets of impacts as
well as resource utilisation which are compared to the status
of Key Performance Indicators.
Performance indicators are measures of efficiency and
effectiveness of the Board with regard to specific aspects of
the
Boards
activities
and
of
the
systems
behaviour.
Efficiency is a measure of the extent to which the resources

of the Board are utilised optimally to produce the service.
Efectiveness is a measure of the extent to which the
targeted objectives are achieved.
The Boards performance indicators must be in line with the
global system which requires that performance indicators
must:
157
Water Board
Represent
Lilongwe
all
relevant
aspects
of
the
utility
performance, allowing for a global representation of the

system by reduced number of indicators.
Be suitable for representing those aspects in a true and

unbiased way.
Reflect the results of the managing activity of the

undertaking.
Be clearly defined, with a concise meaning and a

unique interpretation for each indicator.
Include only non overlapping performance indicators.
Require
only
measuring
equipment
that
targeted
utilities can afford.
Be verifiable which is especially important when the

performance indicators are to be used by regulating
entities that may need to check the results reported.
Be easy to understand even by non specialistsparticularly by customers.
Refer to a certain period of time e.g. 1 year.
Refer to a well - limited geographic area.
Be applicable to utilities with different characteristics

and stages of development.
Be as few as possible, avoiding the inclusion of non

essential aspects.
The
potential
benefits
of
well-devised
system
of
performance indicators are as follows;
Facilitates better quality and more timely response from

management.
Allows for an easier monitoring of the effects of

management decisions.
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Water Board
Lilongwe
Provides key information that supports a pro-active

approach
to
management,
with
less
reliance
on
apparent system mal-functions (reactive approach)
Highlights
strengths
departments,
and
identifying
weaknesses
the
need
for
of
the
corrective
measures to improve productivity, procedures, and

routines.
Assists
with
implementation
of
Total
Quality
Management regime, as a way of emphasizing all-round

quality and efficiency throughout the organization.
Facilitates
routines,
the
both
implementation
internally,
for
of
benchmarking
comparing
the
performance at different locations or systems, and

externally, for comparison with other similar entities,
thus promoting performance improvements.
Provides a sound technical basis for auditing the

organizations workings and predicting the effect of any
recommendations made as a result of an audit.
13.1 Performance Indicators

Several organisations developed performance indicators on
water supply and sanitation world wide. Some of the
organisations include the World Bank, African Development
Bank,
European
Investment
Bank,
the
Water
Utility
Partnership for Capacity Building in Africa and International

Water Association etc just to mention a few. Adopting the IWA
system, performance indicators are graded into three levels
as follows;
a) Level 1 (L1). A first layer of indicators that provide a
general management overview of the efficiency and
effectiveness of the Board.
159
Water Board
Lilongwe
b) Level 2 (L2). Additional Indicators which provide a

better insight than the level 1 indicators for users who
need to go further in depth.
c) Level 3 (L3). Indicators that provide the greatest
amount of specific detail but are still relevant at the top
management level.
The tables below summarises some of the indicators grouped
according to function. The same indicators and targets are
summarised in the appendices.
Water Resources Indicators
Indicator
Unit
Inefficiency of use of water %
Suggested Level
L1
resources
Resource availability ratio
L2
Personnel Indicators
Indicator
Employees
per
Unit
Total Personnel
Suggested Level
No/1000 connections
L1
connection
Personnel per main function

Management
and
No/1000 connections
L2
support personnel
Finance,
commercial
No/1000 connections
L2
personnel
Customer
Service
No/1000 connections
L2
personnel
Technical
activities
No/1000 connections
L2
personnel
Planning
and
No/1000 connections
L3
connection personnel
Operations
and
No/1000 connections
L3
maintenance personnel
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Water Board
Indicator
Water
Lilongwe
Unit
Suggested
resources, No/million
catchment
Level
cubic L3
and meters produced
treatment
personnel
Transmission,
No/ 100 km
L3
personnel
Laboratory
No/ 1000 tests
L3
personnel
Meter
No/1000 meters
L3
storage
and
distribution
maintenance
personnel
Other personnel
No/
million
cubic L3
meters/year
Personnel Qualification
University degree %
L3
personnel
Personnel
with %
L3
basic education
Other personnel
%
L3
Personnel Training
Total training
Days/employee/year
L3
Internal training
Days/employee/year
L3
External training
Days/employee/year
L3
Personnel Health and Safety
Working accidents No/employee/year
L3
Absenteeism
Days/employee/year
L3
Absenteeism due Days/employee/year
L3
to
working
accidents
disease
Absenteeism
or
due Days/employee/year
161
L3
Water Board
Lilongwe
to other reasons
Physical Indicators
Indicator
Unit
Treatment
Treatment availability
%
Storage
Impounding
reservoir Days
capacity
Transmission
distribution
Suggested Level
L1
L2
and Days
L2
storage
capacity
Standardised
Pumping
energy kWh/cubic
consumption
Reactive
meter
L2
at
100m
energy %
L3
consumption
Energy recovery
%
L3
Transmission and Distribution Network
Valve density
No/km
L3
Hydrant Density
No/km
L3
Meters
District meter density No/1000
L3
service
Customer
connections
meter No/service
density
connection
Metered customers
No/ customer
Metered residential No/ customer
L2
L3
L3
customers
Operational Indicators
Indicator
Unit
Suggested Level
Inspection and Maintenance
Pumping inspection % year
L2
Storage
tank % year
L2
162
Water Board
Lilongwe
cleaning
Network inspection % year
Leakage control
% year
Active
leakage % year
L2
L2
L2
control repairs
Hydrant inspection % year
L3
Instrumentation calibration
System flow % year
L3
meters
Meter % year
L2
replacement
Pressure meters
% year
Water
level % year
L3
L3
meters
Online
L3
water % year
quality monitoring
Electrical equipment inspection
Electrical % year
L3
equipment
inspection
by
number
Electrical % year
L3
equipment
inspection
by
power
Vehicle availability
%
L3
Mains Service Connection and Pump Rehabilitation
Mains rehabilitation % year
Mains relining
% year
Replaced
or % year
L2
L2
L2
renewed mains
Indicator
Unit
Suggested
Level
L2
L1
Replaced valves
% year
Service connection % year
rehabilitation
163
Water Board
Lilongwe
Pump rehabilitation
Pump % year
L2
refurbishment
Pump % year
L2
replacement
Water losses
Water losses
m3/connection
per L1
Apparent losses
year
m3/connection
Real losses
year
l/connection
when
per L3
/day L1
system
pressurised
_
Infrastructure
is
L3
leakage index
Failures
Mains failures
No/100km/year
Service Connections/year
L1
L1
connection
suffering
more
failure
than
12
hours
Hydrant failures
No/1000
L2
hydrants/year
Hours/pumping
L2
station/year
Metering
reading %
L1
Power failures
Customer
efficiency
Tests
Water Quality Monitoring

performed % of samples
L1
(quality
compliance)
Indicator
Asthetic
Unit
%
Suggested Level
L2
164
Water Board
Lilongwe
Microbiological
Physical-chemical
Radioactivity
%
%
%
L2
L2
L3
Quality of Service Indicators

Indicator
Unit
Suggested Level
Supply coverage
Building
supply
%
%
L1
L1
coverage
Population coverage
Population with service
%
%
L1
L2
connections
Population with public
L2
taps or stand pipes

Public taps and standpipes
Distance to households M
Quantity
of
water l/person/day
L1
L1
consumed
Population per public
Persons/tap
L2
tap
Pressure
L2
%
%
No/1000 connections
L1
L2
L2
of
supply
adequacy
Continuity of supply
Water interruptions
Interruptions
per
connection
Indicator
Unit
Suggested
Population
L2
L2
L1
Level
experiencing
restrictions to water
service
Days
with
restrictions to water
service
Quality of supplied
water
(quality
compliance)
165
Water Board
Lilongwe
Asthetic
Microbiological
Physical-chemical
Radioactivity
New
connection
%
%
%
%
%
L2
L2
L2
L3
L2
efficiency
Connection
L2
repair
efficiency
Service complaints
Customer Complaints
No
Pressure complaints
Continuity
complaints/connection/year
%
%
L2
L2
complaints
Water
quality
L2
or
L2
complaints
Restrictions
interruptions
Billing complaints
of
No
of
L1
L1
complaints/customer/year
Indicator
Unit
Suggested
Level
Other complaints No of complaints or L2
or queries
Response
queries/
customer
/year
to %
L2
written
complaints
Financial Indicators
Indicator
Unit
Annual Costs
Suggested Level
Unit total costs

MK/cubic meter
L2
Unit operational costs
MK/ cubic meter
L1
Unit capital costs
MK/ cubic meter
L3
Composition of annual operational costs per cubic meter
Internal
work
force %
L3
costs ratio
External service costs
L3
ratio
166
Water Board
Lilongwe
Energy costs ratio

%
L3
Other costs ratio
%
L3
Composition of annual running costs per main function of the Board
Management
and %
L3
support costs ratio
Financial
and
L3
commercial costs ratio

Customer Service costs
L3
ratio
Technical Service costs
L3
Unit
Suggested Level
ratio
Indicator
Composition of annual capital costs

Depreciation costs ratio %
Internal expenses costs %
L3
L3
ratio
Unit annual revenue
Sales revenue as % of
total income
Other revenues
Average
investment
Average
investments
assets
Average
unit
annual
for
Annual Revenue
MK/cubic meter
%
L2
L2
%
Annual Investment
MK/cubic meter
L2
L3
L3
L2
new
annual
investments for asset

replacement
Average water charges
Average Water tariffs

MK/ cubic meter
L1
for direct consumption

Total
cost
ratio
Operating
coverage
cost
coverage ratio
Delays
in
accounts
Efficiency Indicators
_
L1
L1
Months
L2
receivables
167
Water Board
Lilongwe
Indicator
Contribution
Unit
of %
internal
of
source
Suggested Level
L2
investment =CTI
Average
age
of %
L2
tangible assets
Average
L3
depreciation ratio
Late payment ratio
Debt
%
L2
Leverage Indicators
service %
L2
coverage ratio=DSC
Debt equity ratio
L2
Liquidity Indicator
Current Ratio
_
L2
Profitability Indicators
Return on net fixed %
L2
assets
Return on equity
Non-revenue
%
L2
Water Losses Indicators
water %
L1
by volume
Non-revenue
water %
L3
by cost
168
Water Board
Lilongwe
13.2 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS BASED ON

WORLD HEALTHORGANISATION GUIDE LINE
VALUES
AESTHETIC AND PHYSIO - CHEMICAL
13.2.1
QUALITY:
a) Colour of treated water should not exceed 15 TCU (True
Colour Units)
b) Turbidity should < 5 NTU
c) Taste and Odour: No objectionable odour
d) Ph 6.5 8.5
13.2.2 Classification of Surface Water -Faecal Coliform

guide level maximum numbers/100 ml
a) Category A1, 20
b) Category A2, 2,000
c) Category A3, 20,000
13.2.3 World Health Organisation Standards of
bacterial quality
Compliance
a) No faecal Coliform detected in 100 ml of treated water
sample
b) 95% of 100 ml treated water sample must not show the
presence of coliform organism
13.2.4
Water leaving a water treatment works
frequency of sampling
365 treated water samples per year must be analysed
from treatment plants that produce more than 12.0Ml
of water per day as a minimum standard.
13.2.5
Radiological Aspects
169
Water Board
Radiological
radiation
Lilongwe
hazards
emitted
may
by
derive
from
number
of
ionization
radioactive
substances (chemicals) in drinking water. Such hazards

are rarely of public health significance, and radiation
exposure
from
drinking
water must be assessed
alongside exposure from other sources e.g. mines. This

is not a threat in our catchment as there are no mines.
13.3 Evaluation Strategies
The Board has set targets which need to be met at all times.
These targets are indicated in the appendices. Some of the
targets are in form of delivery dates. Others are an
expression of the desired level of indicators outlined above.
Evaluation is done through compilation of monthly, quarterly
and annual reports which are sent to management and
subsequently to the Board.
CHAPTER 14
RESOURCES REQUIRED
14.0 General
170
Water Board
Lilongwe
In order to accomplish the goals set out in this corporate

plan, the Board shall use its resources effectively and
efficiently and direct the resources to the critical areas
identified in this plan.
14.1 Human Resources: Present
Lilongwe Water Board realises that human resources is a key
in the realisation of goals set out in this corporate plan.
Currently The Lilongwe Water Board has a three tiered
management structure consisting of the Board of Directors,
Corporate Management and members of staff.
171
Water Board
Lilongwe
Figure 17 Organizational Structure-Lilongwe Water Board

Board of Directors
Chief Executive
Technical Services
(Headed by Deputy
General Manager
Technical Services
Finance (Headed by
Financial Controller)
Human Resource
and Administration
(Headed by Clerk to
the Board
General
Management
(Headed by the
Chief Executive)
14.2 The Board

The Lilongwe Water Board is governed by a 12 member board
of which 3 are ex official members from Ministry of Irrigation
and
Water
Development,
the
Ministry
of
statutory
Corporations and the Lilongwe City Assembly. The Board is

appointed by government for a specific term of office and is
responsible for policy issues. The government has been
172
Water Board
Lilongwe
putting initiatives to transform the Water Boards and is

ensuring that the Board members are appointed on merit and
possess the range of skills and experience required to direct
the affairs of this important industry like human resources,
finance, engineering and legal skills.
14.3 Management
The Boards operations are directed by the Chief Executive
who heads the Corporate Management team which consists
of heads of 4 departments of the Board structured according
to
functional
Resources
lines
and
namely
Technical
Administration,
Services,
Finance
and
Human
General
Management.
14.4 Staff
The Deputy General Manager (Technical Services)
heads the department of technical services. Under
Technical Services there are eight divisions namely
Planning, Projects, Water Quality and Environment,
Operations, Byelaws- Water
Audit and Commercial
Plumbing, Southern Zone, Central Zone and Northern

Zone.
The Financial Controller heads the Department of

Finance. Under the Department of Finance there are 4
divisions
namely
Financial
Accounts,
Management
Accounts, Revenue Accounts and Kiosk Management.
The Clerk to the Board heads the Department of

Administration.
Administration
Under
there
are
the
Department
three
divisions
namely
Administration, Human Resources and Transport.
173
of
Water Board
Lilongwe
At present, the Board has 468 employees on permanent

establishment. A summary of number of employees in each
section is indicated under approved and actual establishment
in the Appendix.
The current staffing levels for each department are based on
nature of activities and human resources needs to maintain
operational
efficiency.
Each section
prepares
a human
resource requisition based on the need. The requisition is

submitted to the Head of Department for approval. Once the
Head of Department approves, a vacant post is created in the
Boards Establishment. The Board of Directors finally approve
the establishment.
Figure 18 Main Breakage Requires Work Force
174
Water Board
Lilongwe
Figure 19 Maintenance Team at Work
14.5 Human Resource Requirements: Future

The current staff per number of connection is high as the
case is with most water utilities in developing countries. The
Board has currently processed expanding its water supply
area to Dowa Turn-off in the north, Chitedze in the west and
Nanjiri in the south. Furthermore,a ccording to the Master
Plan a new water source, Diamphwe, is expected to be fully
developed and commissioned by 2015. This project will also
include construction of new treatment facilities. In view of
this expansion it is expected that Lilongwe Water Board will
need additional employees in the next 5 years. However, it is
hoped that with the introduction of partial automation and
telemetry
and
with the
introduction
of private
sector
participation through service contracts, the number of

employees
should
relatively
remain
constant
or
even
decrease.
The new challenge that will definitely need extra human
resources is the water-born sanitation and sewer service that
the Board is expected to take over from the City Assembly.
This implies that the Board will also take over the personnel
responsible for sewer services
175
Water Board
Lilongwe
Lilongwe Water Board is expected to take over Likuni Zone

that is currently being operated by Central Region Water
Board. It is anticipated that this zone will be operated by
Lilongwe Water Board starting on 1 st July 2009. On the part of
human resources it implies that more people will be needed
14.6 Employee Relations
The Board shall strive to have a stable relationship with its
employees by keeping dialogue lines open between the Union
and the Management team. In this way, potential problems
shall be dealt with before they get out hand.
14.7 Human Resources Development
Human Resources
Development is concerned
with the
provision of learning, development and training opportunities

in order to improve individual, team and organizational
performance. Human Resources Development is essentially a
business-led approach to developing people within a strategic
framework. In this context it becomes apparent that the
Board good strategies in order to enhance performance. This
approach leads to Strategic Human Resource Development,
which involves introducing, eliminating, modifying, directing
and guiding processes in such a way that all individuals and
teams
are
equipped
with
the
skills,
knowledge
and
competences they require to undertake current and future

tasks required by the Board.
14.7.1 Strategic Human Resource Development Aims
176
Water Board
The
fundamental
Lilongwe
aim
of
Strategic
Human
Resource
Development is to enhance resource capability in accordance

with the fact that human capital of the Board is a major
source of competitive advantage.
14.7.2 Human Resources Management
One
of
the
primary
objectives
of
Human
resources
Management is the creation of conditions whereby the latent

potential of employees will be realized and their commitment
to the causes of the Board secured. This latent potential is
taken to include, not merely the capacity to acquire and
utilize new skills and knowledge, but also a hitherto untapped
wealth of ideas about how the Boards operations might
improve
14.7.3 Strategies for Human Resources Development
Some of the strategies to be adopted include
Raise awareness of the need for a learning culture that

leads to continuous improvement.
Develop the competence of managers to become

actively involved in in learning that leads to knowledge
creation.
Expand learning capacity throughout the Board.
Focus on all the Boards knowledge workers, not just

the key personnel.
Harness
e-learning
to
knowledge
knowledge creation
14.8 Managing Impact of HIV/AIDS
177
sharing
and
Water Board
Lilongwe
The Board is committed to ensuring that programs are in

place to takle the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the work place
though awareness and education program. The Board has an
HIV/AIDS policy and employees who are HIV positive are
encouraged to register to access medical care and counseling
services for staff and family members. The Board has also
focused on peer education in a drive to change attitudes and
behavioural patterns.
Therefore the Board shall:
Develop
Human
Resource
Development
and
Management Plan in line with the Boards planned

activities. This plan should highlight the number of staff
and the skills required in order to effectively meet the
goals highlighted in the corporate plan
Review and update the Human Resource Management

plan annually to reflect on changes occurring each year
into the plan in line with the Human Resources
requirement for that particular year.
The Human Resources plan will help identify areas where

additional employees may be needed as well as positions
that require specific skills.
14.9 Financial and Other Requirements
The Board needs financial resources in order to continue
providing
its
services.
Finances
are
required
to
pay
employees, carry out operations and maintenance activities,

procure chemicals, pay for energy costs, roll out new projects
and service debts and loans. At present, the Board is able to
finance its operations but has difficulties in financing new
178
Water Board
Lilongwe
developments for the Board to expand. Critical areas needing

financing are summarized in Chapter 5.
The detailed annual financial requirements are presented in
the annual operational and capital budgets that are made
prior to the beginning of each financial year.
CHAPTER 15
NEW STRATEGIES
15.0 General
The Board being a dynamic and evolving institution,
constantly looks at ways to redefine its business processes in
the quest to be more efficient and reliable. The aims of these
new strategies are:
Enhancing performance in functional areas which are
believed to be crucial for the success of business
179
Water Board
Lilongwe
Address the gaps that have been identified root causes

for under achievements and challenges
Identify new areas and opportunities to position the

Board for growth and development in todays changing
world.
15.1 Integrated
Information
Technology Management
and
Communication
Management of information within the Board has been

scattered and a result there has been lack of coordination
amongst various departments and decision making has not
been prompt. As a means of countering this problem, the
Board intends to implement Integrated Information and
Communication
Technology
Management
(IICTM).
The
Integrated IT Management will help develop an efficient and

effective MIS and information data base that will easily aid
information communication, assessment and prompt decision
making.
15.2 Prepaid Metering
One of the challenges that the Board continues to face is that
of unwillingness to pay by customers and inaccurate meter
reading due to human error, uncompromising manners of
some customers by not allowing meter readers into their
premises, operational status of meters, dirty meters, meters
being covered under ground and other related situations. The
Board has procured and installed a new billing system Hiaffinity is one of the ways of improving the situation.
To address the problems relating to human errors in meter
reading,
non
willingness
to
180
pay
and
uncompromising
Water Board
Lilongwe
customers, the Board intends to implement a prepaid

metering pilot project. The pilot project is going to be
implemented in Area 14 and depending on the outcome; the
project shall be extended to other areas.
15.3 Water Demand Management
Water is one of the most essential elements to the existence
of all species on the earth. There is a growing awareness that
previous attitudes to water as an infinite resource must
change and our actions must reflect the importance of water
to our environmental, social and economic wellbeing.
The Board currently supplies water for domestic, commercial,
industrial, institutional and wastewater treatment. Domestic
water is for household purposes like drinking, washing,
bathing, cooking etc. Commercial water is for conversion into
other products that are for sale e.g. soft drinks. Industrial
water is used in industries as a catalyst in the process of
converting
raw
Institutional
materials
into
manufactured
water is used in institutions
products.
like schools,
hospitals, camps and barracks.

Water
Demand
Management
is
the
adaptation
and
implementation of a strategy by Lilongwe Water Board or its

customers to influence the water demand and usage of water
in order to meet economic efficiency, social development,
social equity, environmental protection, sustainability of
water supply services and political acceptability.
Wasteful use of water has been noted particularly in
Government institutions. Each institution used to have one
big meter and most institutions defaulted to pay water bills.
As
result
almost
all
Government
institutions
have
accumulated big debts. The Board intends initiate a project

181
Water Board
Lilongwe
aimed at installing individual meters within the institutions so

that individuals have a responsibility to control water usage.
The Board is also sensitising the public using any possible
media to use water sparingly.
Based on the four components mentioned above, the Board
through the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development and
NWDP II would like to implement a number of projects in the
next ten years. These amongst others will include;
Rehabilitation of old plants and systems (they have

been operational over thirty years).
Reduction of non-revenue water, waste management

and control.
Improvement of customer and financial management.
Extension of water supply systems to the low-income

communities and the peri-urban areas.
Catchment management
Energy management and reduction of operational

costs.
Development of a new water source.
The Board further intends to implement the following

strategies
Water audits
Minimum night flows
Step testing
Consumer Awareness campaigns to influence demand
Proactive leakage detection and prompt repairs can

contribute to water conservation but requires a
commitment to regular education and awareness to
ensure that good practices are reinforced and bad
practices negated.
182
Water Board
Lilongwe
Water demand monitoring
Establishment of a Water Demand Management Team
The Board shall establish a Water Demand Management team

to look on a monthly basis of
water consumption and
demand levels and levels of Non revenue water. The team

shall have clear terms of reference, develop a corporate
strategy and action plan for NRW
and lead the Board into
reducing the Non revenue water from the current levels of

above 30% to 20% by 2013.
This means ensuring that all existing water consumption is
optimized and swift action taken to address excess high non
revenue water figures whether as a consequence of failed
infrastructure, old equipment, poor management or lack of
awareness.
15.4 Sewerage and Sanitation System
There are indications that the Operation and Management of
the Waterborne Sanitation shall be handed over to Lilongwe
Water Board by the Lilongwe City Assembly once the
Sanitation policy is adopted.
The investment plan and
strategies for this component is not known at the moment as

it still belongs to the Ministry of Local Government through
the Lilongwe City Assembly. LWB shall develop a Sewerage
strategic plan for Lilongwe City once the facility is formally
handed over.
15.5 Meter Testing Bench
The Board realizes that with time accuracy of meters tend to
drop and and this could result in a significant drop of
revenue.
The Board therefore develops meter replacement

183
Water Board
Lilongwe
programs. As a result the Board is spending heavily in the

procurement of new meters. Faulty meters are just removed
and replaced with new ones. The Board intends to put to full
use the meter testing bench by testing all faulty meters
before replacing them and also recalibrating of repaired
meters. To this end the Board will develop a strategy to
randomly carry out meter tests in each area to confirm their
accuracy.
15.6 Hand delivery of Bills
Due to problems in delivery of bills through postage like late
delivery or bills not reaching customers at all which had an
impact on the cash flow, the Board is now hand delivering
bills to customers as a way of ensuring that bills get to the
customers on time. It is hoped that through this arrangement
the Board will not only increase collection efficiency but also
save not less than K1, 000,000 per month as well. Related to
this, the Board is looking at how it can improve the way
meter reading data is captured from customer meters. To this
end a pilot is going to implemented on the use of hand held
computers in data captured.
This will improve accuracy of
meter reading data and improve the pace at which data is

captured.
15.7 Job Evaluation and Grading
The aims of job evaluation include the following;
a) Establish the relative value or size of jobs (internal
relativities)
based
on
fair,
judgments.
184
sound
and
consistent
Water Board
b) Produce
the
Lilongwe
information
required
to
design
and
maintain equitable and defensible grade and pay

structures.
c) Provide as objective as possible a basis for grading jobs
within a grade structure, thus enabling consistent
decisions to be made about job grading.
d) Enable sound market comparisons with jobs or roles of
equivalent complexity and size.
e) Be transparent-the basis upon which grades are defined
and jobs graded should be clear.
f) Ensure that the Board meets equal pay for work of
equal
value
obligations
as
stipulated
in
the
Employment Act.
In order to improve efficiency and reduce duplications
amongst various positions within the Board, the Board
engaged consultants to curry out a job valuation and
grading exercise. The report from the consultants was
reviewed by management in order to pave way for
identifying the best approach for adopting it. It is hoped
that after the exercise is fully implemented, it will result
in
Increased efficiency
Positions enrichment and job satisfaction

employees
Reduce operational and administrative costs,
Improve customer service
185
amongst
Water Board
Lilongwe
Enhancement of Lilongwe Water Board Organizational

hierarchy which shall be able to deliver customer
expectations more efficiently and effectively.
15.8 Risk Management and Contingency

Realizing that Water is life and of paramount importance, the
board realizes that in an event of failure the City would come
to a standstill. To this end, the Board intends also to develop
and implement a comprehensive emergency preparedness
risk management plan to be followed in the event of failure of
dams, treatment plant or any serious failures of any of the
water facilities.
15.9 Extension of Supply to Nanjiri, Dowa Turn Off and
Chitedze
Government approved and gazetted that some of the areas
currently served by the Central Region Water Board be
passed on to Lilongwe Water Board. The extensions are up to
the following areas:
Dowa turn off in the North,
Chitedze Agriculture Research Station in the West,
Mchenzi Trading Centre in the East,
Nanjiri river to the South and
Chigwilizano Trading Centre in the South West
In addition the Board would like to extend the boundary

further to the eastern side along salima road by ten
kilometres from Mchenzi to take care of future developments.
186
Water Board
15.10
Lilongwe
Twinning Arrangements
The Board is continuously looking at ways on how to improve

its performance by learning from other organizations. To this
end,
the
Board
is
working
on
establishing
twinning
arrangements with South African Utilities. The priority areas

of interest for twinning are:
System design
Operation and maintenance
Water resources management and
Peri-urban water supply.
This project is being coordinated by the Department of Water
and Forestry
APPENDICES
187
Water Board
Lilongwe
APPENDIX 1
MONITORING INDICATORS
AND PERFORMANCE TARGETS
188
Water Board
Lilongwe
APPENDIX 2
OTHER PERFORMANCE
TARGETS
189
Water Board
Lilongwe
APPENDIX 3
POPULATION PROJECTIONS
AND WATER DEMAND
FORECAST
190
Water Board
Lilongwe
APPENDIX 4
191
Water Board
Lilongwe
CAPITAL INVESTMENT
PROGRAM
APPENDIX 5
5 YEAR VEHICLE
REPLACEMENT PROGRAM
192
Water Board
Lilongwe
APPENDIX 6
CASH FLOW FORECAST
193
Water Board
Lilongwe
APPENDIX 7
AVERAGE DAILY PRODUCTION
TRENDS
194

Corporate Plan 2009-2010

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Corporate Plan 2009-2010

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Corporate Plan2009-2014

Lilongwe Water Board

LILONGWE WATER BOARD, MADZI HOUSE,OFF LIKUNI

Lilongwe Water Board

Lilongwe Water Board - Directors

Byelaws and Water Audit Division

Clerk to the Board

Deputy General Manager (Technical Services)

Electrical and Mechanical

Internal Audit Division

Information and Communication Technology

Internal Procurement Committee

Kiosk Management Programme

Kamuzu Dams Catchment Conservation

Lilongwe Water Board

Lilongwe Water Board

Mega litres per day (1000m3 per day)

Management Information System

Non Revenue Water

National Water Development Project II

On Site Electrolytic Chlorination

Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition

Lilongwe Water Board

One option that could bring

immediate results would be the Public- Private sector Participation. The

Availability of commercial funds for capital and improvement works

Specialized technical and managerial skills can be brought in to the

Improved efficiencies of service that can be set as contractual

Lilongwe Water Board

Lilongwe Water Board

Lilongwe Water Board

Lilongwe Water Board

1 Water Flow Outline...........................................................................................................................9

Lilongwe Water Board

Peak Demand Projection............................................................................................................70

Lilongwe Water Board

supply area has increased to about 550 km 2.

Lilongwe Water Board is

customer service and financial

management systems, impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic resulting in loss of

Lilongwe Water Board

The Corporate Plan takes recognisance of the Governments commitment

It is expected that the Boards will be

restructured into two entities: an Asset Holding Company responsible for

performance of the Board by rehabilitating key facilities, reduce non

Lilongwe Water Board

on the living conditions by bringing safe and sustainable drinking water to

Lilongwe Water Board

Lilongwe Water Board

Apart from statutory requirement according to Section 68, sub-section (1)

submission of the Performance and Management Plan at least

to the Minister and

Secretary to the Treasury, it is requisite for any successful business to

For this to be done,

objectively verifiable indicators must be formulated, means of verification

To provide means of sharing information with employees, customers,

To ensure that investment decisions take account of what customers

To help the utility to monitor financial and technical performance.

Lilongwe Water Board

To support performance-based contracts with employees or private

To support activities needed for performance improvements, such as

Lilongwe Water Board

Departments of the Lilongwe Water Board. It represents the

Limitation of the Corporate Plan