The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The multi-billion shillings Karuma-Gulu water project construction works kicked off in August 2022 with joint funding from the government of Uganda and Kfw and a loan from the World Bank.
The project work involved the establishment of a water treatment plant at Nora village, the construction of water reservoirs, and the installation of 69.5-kilometre transmission main pipelines to Gulu city through six peri-urban towns of Karuma, Kamdini, Minakulu, Bobi, Palenga and Koro Abili.
Eng Kennedy Geria, the Project Engineer at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation said the construction work at the plant is already 93 percent complete. The plant is situated in Nora village, Juma Parish in Kamdini Sub-county, Oyam district.
Geria noted that both the process and non-process line facilities at the Karuma-Gulu water project have been completed.
“The whole process line is now completed, and we can get treated water out of the plant,” Geria told Uganda Radio Network in an interview at the plant over the weekend.
The completed process line facilities include the distribution chamber, coagulation chamber, flocculation chamber, clarifier, gravity filters, intermediate tank, and contact tank of 2.5 million litres holding capacity which are all functional. Other facilities completed are the back horse building, pump station and the sludge treatment facility.
Geria noted that all buildings within the plant including the administration, and the chemical building have been completed. Pending works at the plant currently are landscaping, grass planting and lighting installation.
“We expect stable water to supply to the consumers in Gulu City and other towns by the end of this year,” he said.
The engineers are currently also undertaking water pipe pressure tests and cleaning of the water pipeline. Uganda Radio Network understands that a total of 63.7 Km of the pipelines laid down had already passed the pressure test over the weekend. The cleaning of the pipe according to the engineers had reached the Minakulu trading center.
In June this year, the multi-billion project suffered a mega setback after water pipes which were already laid down failed the hydrostatic pressure tests.
Denys NV, the contracting firm in charge of the transmission mains installation was later forced to dig up all the pipelines for replacements.
Uganda Radio has since established that the problems arose from the installation of rubber gaskets which were unable to withstand the water pressure during the test. The contractor had initially installed the NBR rubber gaskets which were eventually replaced with the more superior EPDM gaskets on all the pipes along a stretch of over 50 km.
The Karuma-Gulu water project is expected to boost the supply of water within Gulu City with an additional 10 million litres of water daily.
Ivan Tekakwo, the Public Relations Officer at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation in Gulu City said the corporation is currently overwhelmed with increasing demand for water from the populace. He said the completion of the water project would be a big relief for NWSC and the consumers.
Currently, NWSC abstracts 9 million litres of water from Oitino dam in Gulu city but supplies between 6 to 7 million litres to clients despite demand estimated at 9 million litres.
Once completed, both contractors, Sogea Satom and Denys NV are expected to hand over the project to NWSC by the end of the year which will then commence the supply of water to clients by January according to Tekakwo.
*****
URN
