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Water treatment costs rise - officials
Trapping. A wire mesh set under the bridge on River Mpanga in Fort Portal Town to block plastic bottles and other waste from sailing downstream. Photo by Felix Basiime.
What you need to know:
- Appeal. The officials have asked residents to ensure water safety in order to reduce costs.
- The NWSC manager Fort Portal branch, Mr Denis Muramuzi, urged residents to cooperate and ensure water safety in the area
Kabarole. The cost of treating water for public consumption in Fort Portal Municipality has trippled in the last six years due to the pollution of River Mpanga, officials have said.
“The chemical consumption at National water sewerage corporation (NWSC) Fort Portal plant has increased by 3.1 times, from 0.0120 Kg/unit of water to 0.0375 Kg/unit of water treated between 2010 to 2016,” Mr John Paul Onencan, the quality control technician, NWSC Fort Portal area said recently.
Mr Onencan said it is now costly for the corporation to filter the polluted water from the main source since a lot of chemical is needed to have the water purified.
The NWSC manager Fort Portal branch, Mr Denis Muramuzi, urged residents to cooperate and ensure water safety in the area.
“It may result into high costs of tap water and also cause water borne diseases to those who consume it directly,” Mr Muramuzi said.
Recently, Kabarole District chairperson Richard Rwabuhinga, appealed to the people living along River Mpanga banks to stop polluting the water source as it also constrains neighbouring districts of Kyenjojo, Kamwenge, Kiruhura and Ibanda.
Mr Rwabuhinga said activities like the washing bay, processing plants, waste disposal pits on the river banks have contributed to the water pollution. He also blamed the situation on weak laws and poor financing of the management committees by the ministry of Water and Environment.
However, Mr Rwabuhinga asked residents to cooperate.
