Background

The Government of Malawi (GoM) transferred the management and provision of sewerage services from Lilongwe City Council (LCC) to Lilongwe Water Board (LWB). The transfer is in accordance with Section 26 of the Water Works Act (CAP. 72:01) which mandates Water Boards to “construct and maintain public sewer” within its Water Area as gazetted.

On October 1, 2023 and in pursuant of Section 67 of the Waterworks Act, LWB took over assets including plant and machinery in respect of water-borne sewerage sanitation system installed and being operated in the water area by the local authority.

Wastewater management and treatment services therefore are placed within the newly formed Wastewater Treatment Division which is under the Directorate of Production and Distribution, adding the number of divisions within the directorate to seven which includes Production and Supply, Electro-Mechanical, Water Quality and Environmental Management, Non-Revenue Water, Southern Zone, Central Zone, and Northern Zone, all reporting to the Director of Production and Distribution (DPD).

Sewerage Coverage in Lilongwe City

The Board currently manages and operates three (3) wastewater treatment facilities, namely Lilongwe wastewater treatment plant, Kanengo Wastewater treatment and Lumbadzi wastewater treatment. The Lilongwe Wastewater treatment plant network accounts for over 76% of the approximately 200 km of the city’s sewer network. The sewers’ diameters range from 110 to 825 mm, with 30% having DN 160 mm. Our total network currently serves about 8500 customers within the sewer networks.

Existing Sewerage Facilities

Lilongwe Sewerage Treatment Plant was commissioned in 1997 and is located in Area 44, covering areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 32, 33, 37, 40, 47, 48 and 49, thus covering mostly Central and Southern parts of Lilongwe City.  The current design capacity of the existing installation is 6,300 m³/day.

Kanengo Industrial treatment plant receives wastewater from area 29 industrial area and the treatment process is based on stabilization ponds, with a capacity of 635 m³/day, and was constructed in 1996.

Lumbadzi wastewater treatment plant is based on a modified stabilization pond, with a capacity of 1,200 m³/day constructed in 1984.  It serves Lumbadzi Airport Development Limited (ADL) Housing Estate.