Progress in PUC’s plans to boost water supply

Progress in PUC’s plans to boost water supply - 21.12.2011

Plans to raise the level of La Gogue dam so it can hold more water advanced this week when the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) invited firms wishing to do a feasibility study to indicate their interest.

This follows release of funds to do so by both the government and the African Development Bank, which is also willing to fund the project itself.

Moves to raise the volume of water getting into the dam through a pipe coming from the Mount Simpson area are also advanced and the pipe should be ready to deliver a daily 2,500 tonnes of water into the dam by July next year.
The PUC’s chief executive Robert Stravens said this in an interview yesterday when he also told the media that all the desalination plants are not running now because there is enough fresh water from the dam and streams.
He nevertheless said there was recently a situation when desalination plants had to be run at Anse Boileau after flash rains caused intake pipe filters to clog.
A series of tanks being erected in different districts will help curb such problems, as consumers can be given stored water when filters are cleared.
The actual work to raise the dam will start in 2013 and be ready in 2017 if studies show the project is worthwhile.
One of the issues the study will look at is the level of seepage from the dam, which he said is normal of all dams, but noted raising the dam will increase pressure and raise the amount of water going into the ground.
He nevertheless said the water is not lost and the dam is in fact designed to allow some to percolate because there are users downstream who use the water.
The PUC also has plans to raise the capacity of the desalination plants, which in 2011 saw a boost enabling them to produce a daily 7,000 tonnes water.
“We have also awarded a tender to upgrade the desalination plants by another 12,000 tonnes which will bring us to 19,000 tonnes per day to allow us to bridge the gap as the other aspects of the overall project to raise the capacity,” he said.
Mr Stravens said the PUC is also intensifying efforts to replace leaking pipes through which a lot of water is lost.

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