Preliminary studies to pave way for construction of the much-needed central sewerage system in the City of Kigali will be concluded by end of March.

This is according to James Sano, the chief executive officer of the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), who during a related interview in August 2014, had cautioned on the timeline of the project.

Then, Sano said more time was needed to work on engineering designs, requisite tender documents and to mobilise 70 million Euros for construction before WASAC advertised to find the best firm to do the job.

Last Friday, Sano said, "The plan is still on. The designs are almost complete and they will be completed alongside the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) as well as the resettlement action plan.”

"These are studies which will inform the environment management plan for the project to mitigate problems. Everything should be ready by end of March,” he said.

Work on designs is being funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The central sewerage system will be a network of underground pipes connected to buildings in the city, and eventually emptying into a sewage treatment plant, at the Giti Kinyoni area in Nyarugenge District, as per the set city sanitation master plan.

It will be assembled in phases. But before actual construction starts, a resettlement action plan (RAP) has to be implemented. It is the preliminary studies that will eventually help in the effort to mobilise funds for construction.

The EIB could provide 50 per cent of the funds and as well collaborate with WASAC in mobilising more money for the project.

Sano said, the construction of the system could start in the next fiscal year.

In our previous interview, Sano had indicated that it is not a straightforward thing.

You don’t have to be very optimistic in terms of when the central sewage system will actually be in place, he said then.

Sebastien L. Mellot, a UK-based engineer explained that their job which has been completed involved mapping where pipes will be and ensuring that they are secure.

Mellot indicated that the lifespan of the pipes is about 50 years.

The city’s plan to construct a central sewerage system will among others contain flooding often witnessed during heavy rains.

As the city’s population and infrastructure continues to grow, at an unprecedented rate, city planners have to double effort in finding solutions.

As the country gears up for election of next district mayors, city dwellers will have high expectations from the next city mayor and, delivering the central sewerage system could be one of them.

City dwellers, today, have to contend with constructing their own septic tanks or mini waste treatment plants, at an extra cost.

Currently, it is a costly venture for developers in the city given that a mini sewerage plant costs about five per cent of any construction project in the city, according to experts.

New City buildings are required to have a mini sewerage treatment plant. At present, to establish a mini-waste treatment system, developers must part with between three and five per cent of the total project’s cost.

The central treatment plant, among others, is expected to reduce construction costs significantly.

If a central sewerage system existed, developers would not need to include sewerage management systems in their designs as they would be connected to the central network.

There is also a nagging health scenario as lack of a proper sewerage system means that people either dig pits, construct septic tanks and semi-waste disposal plants, an arrangement which, according to health experts, is no guarantee for good public health.

A central sewerage system will help check environmental sanitation and pollution so that people are assured of having safe water, said Dr Daniel Nyamwasa, director of Kacyiru Police Hospital, in our previous interview.Untreated dirt that seeps into water systems are said to cause infectious diseases, disorders caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites, including cholera and Hepatitis A.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw