Floods disrupt water installation

Water supply has been restored after floods wreaked havoc in Manafwa district last month.

The floods destroyed several water installations in the area leading to water shortages. The floods have led to the development of several cracks, which have seen buildings collapse and road networks damaged.

Fred Businge, the area manager for the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, said the increased volumes of water had equally affected the Soono and Lirima gravity water treatment plants, destroying several buildings in the installation, including the laboratory, which is on the verge of collapse.

Businge said as a safety measure, they evacuated the staff from the plants and that they are conducting daily monitoring of intakes and raw pipe lines in Laaso, Lirima and Soono in the mountains.

He added that they have continued desilting intakes and the use of gabion boxes for anchoring the pipes.

The worst affected areas include Lwakhakha town, Kwapa, Munamba, Bukoho, Kiswayi, Bunabwana, Bunyinza, Namboko, and Malage.

"Due to increased land movement as a result of constant rains on the slopes of Mt Elgon, Soono waterworks has been greatly affected with civil structure movements, compacted silt at the intake, pipe network movement and cracked staff quarters.

"Due to this movement, there has been intermittent supply affecting the branches of Lwakhakha, Bubutu, and Kwapa,'' Businge said.

He said their assurance is that they have put in place all measures to ensure supply continuity.

This is alongside the current increase of water levels and land movement, as they are closely working with the stakeholders, local media, and support from the headquarters, to avert the situation.

Businge said in the short term, they are reactivating the old gravity flow scheme of Lwakhakha, formerly meant for Uganda Railways since the ground is stable, acquiring transport and modifying a 20-ft container to be used as a laboratory, plant office, and chemical storage, additional gabion boxes to be used for controlling floods at the intake and raising of the chlorine dosing/ mixing unit at Laaso, using steel pipe and poly tanks.