Road works have proven to be a menace to reliable water supply in the Kampala Water region which simply makes roadworks assessment imperative.
It is therefore in order that Kampala Water’s Senior Manager Water Supply, Eng. Francis Kateeba put together a team to assess all road works, both ongoing and planned under *LOT 1* of the *Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project (KCRRP)* . He and his team comprised of; the Manager-Network KEZ, Eng. Bbale Francis and Senior Technical Supervisor, Geoffrey Kabagambe, assessed the KW Water Mains Pipe relocations both complete and ongoing as a step towards ensuring the reliable supply of clean water to customers in the Kampala Water region, and minimizing the risk of contamination or disruption due to road construction activities.
Notably, the KCRRP is part of a citywide infrastructure improvement program aimed at tackling congestion in the city of Kampala through improvement of road network, upgrading of traffic junctions, and enhanced drainage capacity to mitigate flooding on the streets. Specifically, the project encompasses road network improvements/upgrading, road junction improvements, traffic management, including establishment of Traffic Control Centre (TCC), provision of street lighting, and storm water drainage enhancements.
By conducting a thorough assessment, the KW team was able to identify potential risks and develop appropriate measures to mitigate them, such as relocating water mains some of which have been done and others ongoing, planning for interruptions, and coordinating construction schedules. This ought to help with; Planning for interruptions, cost management, compliance with regulations, reduce the likelihood of service disruptions or contamination, collaboration with other utilities, and improvement of the reliability of the water supply as some of the relocations have fueled an upgrade in the Water Supply Network System.
Lot 1 which was the WSD’s focus yesterday, is approximately 14.94 Kilometers long. Kampala Water has so far relocated mains along; Wamala road, Luwafu road, Kabega road, and Old Mubende road. Works are however still ongoing along; Kigala road, Kayemba road and Canon Apollo Kivebulaya/Albert Cook Road junction. Muteesa 1 road and Bulange junction are yet to commence works with a major relocation of pipes predicted to happen in the Bulenga junction.
It is encouraging to see that the Water Supply Department is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety and reliability of water supply in the face of road works, and this is a good example for other departments and regions to follow.
