Construction of City sewerage system due to start in March next year

Preliminary studies for the construction of the much-needed central sewerage system in the City of Kigali have been completed, according to James Sano, the chief executive officer of the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC). Sano told The New Times, on Monday that consultants have already handed in their final drafts and are now working incorporating concerns related to environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) so as to mitigate possible environmental impacts. Sano added: “This will take up to end of this month and, by the end of May we expect to have the final document. Then we shall start mobilising funds for construction. A roundtable with various financiers will also be organised by the Ministry of Finance.” ‘‘By Mid-May a final document will be ready, including necessary tender paperwork. Everything is on track,’’ Sano says. “I am looking at the construction phase starting around March next year, if all goes well. And, I am confident all will go well.” It is the preliminary studies that will eventually help in the effort to mobilise funds for construction. In an earlier interview in August 2014, Sano had cautioned on the timeline of the project, emphasising that “more time” would be required to work on engineering designs, requisite tender documents and mobilising the requisite 70 million Euros needed for construction. 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 emptying into a sewage treatment plant, at the Giti Kinyoni area in Nyarugenge District, according to the city sanitation master plan. It will be assembled in phases. But before actual construction starts, a resettlement action plan (RAP) has to be implemented. The EIB could provide 50 per cent of the funds collaborate with WASAC in mobilising more money for the project. The plan to construct a central sewerage system will help to, among others, restrain flooding during heavy rains. City dwellers, today, have to contend with constructing their own septic tanks or mini waste treatment plants. 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 also 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 plant, among others, is expected to reduce construction costs especially since, with a central sewerage system in place, developers would not need to include sewerage management systems in their designs as these would be connected to the central network. Furthermore, lack of a proper sewerage system means that people either dig pits, construct septic tanks or semi-waste disposal plants, an arrangement which, according to health experts, is a threat to public health. Untreated dirt that seeps into water systems is 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

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Construction of City sewerage system due to start in March next year