In Nakando, a town situated more than a thousand kilometers northeast of Lusaka, residents endured a week-long water shortage with no water flowing from their taps due to a lapse by Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company- the company responsible for water supply in the northern regional towns.

Ironically, Nakonde town was included in the US$53 million government-initiated water project launched in 2017 to enhance water supply in various towns across the northern regions, including Muchinga, Luapula, and Western Provinces. Despite the completion of the mega-project in October 2023, Nakonde residents report persistent challenges in their water supply.

Water supply to its customers had to be completely cut off after the company failed to procure the necessary chemicals for water treatment on time, posing a significant health risk to thousands of residents amid the government's efforts to combat cholera.

With water supply suspended for four consecutive days during the week of 14 – 20th January 2024, residents had no choice but to rely on shallow wells and rainwater collected during rainfall. Many individuals interviewed by MakanDay confirmed that the recent shortage is not an isolated incident but rather a recurrent issue.

Festus Kalunga, a teacher and resident of Mukoma in Nakonde, who has relied on Chambeshi's water supply for the past four years, expressed dissatisfaction with the erratic water distribution during this period.

“The supply has been quite erratic,” he commented. “Despite reporting pipe bursts to Chambeshi on multiple occasions, the response has been less than satisfactory. Moreover, when our neighbours along the same pipeline open their taps, we often experience a disruption in our supply.

He pointed out that the recent water shortage in Nakonde is not an isolated incident, as many residents often experience nearly two-week periods without water, and there is no communication or explanation provided by the water company.

“Chambeshi should work hard to ensure that if there is any challenge they’re facing, they need to communicate, at least they communicate whatever challenge they have to the customers,” he said.

Another customer, Happiness Mukuka, shared similar sentiments regarding water supply in Nakonde. She mentioned that there hasn’t been a steady supply of water ever since she started using water from Chambeshi.

“When there is no water, we turn to shallow wells, but it is worrying because we need water for our lives, our toilets, etc,” she said.

The Managing Director of Chambeshi Water, Lucky Simumba, addressed the recent water shortage in an interview with the local radio station in Nakonde, Chete FM. He explained that the shortage resulted from a delay in procuring aluminum sulfate, a key component used in water purification.

Simumba also attributed the chemical procurement delay to the stringent controls imposed by the new government to combat corruption and prevent the misappropriation of public funds through procurement processes.

“The challenges I've highlighted involve the supply chain, with a supplier failing to deliver on time,” he explained. “Another issue we're grappling with is related to electronic government procurement (egp). The government has issued a directive for all procurement be done through egp. However, there are instances when the egp system is down, and the suppliers can’t submit quotations and also during evaluation because the system is down.”

 MakanDay has been investigating the intermittent water supply issues in various northern regional town, shedding light on the selection of a contractor and political connections that have hindered the advancement of the government-backed US$53 million water project financed by a loan from the African Development Bank.

As a result of MakanDay’s efforts, on January, the National Water and Sanitation Council (Nwasco) finally did issue a strong directive to Chambeshi to submit a detailed time-bound action plan of how it will conclusively address all outstanding directives within 14 days of receipt of the directive.

Chambeshi was one of the receivers of the US$53 million water improvement project in northern Zambia, initiated in 2017 to alleviate long-standing water challenges in many northern region towns, including Nakonde, where the company supplies water to close to 3,000 properties.

The critical water shortage in Nakonde town occurred before the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum.‍

Christabel is a journalist based in Nakonde