Malawi: Blantyre shuts station and interrupts water supply
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Malawi24
The Blantyre Water Board has temporarily shut down the Walkers Ferry pumping station after vandals damaged a valve, disrupting supply to several areas. Water tankers are to prioritise hospitals and public institutions during repairs, according to Malawi24.
The Blantyre Water Board (BWB), the body responsible for water supply in Blantyre, has temporarily shut down the Walkers Ferry pumping station to allow repairs to a damaged valve. The BWB said the shutdown would disrupt supply to most neighbourhoods served by the network.
An assessment of the facility found that vandals had cut the spindle of a valve in a pipe interconnection chamber at Chileka, on the network linking the Walkers Ferry and Chileka stations. Pumping capacity was initially reduced to 50% to limit water loss before the station was shut down completely.
The BWB plans to deploy water tankers in the worst-affected areas, prioritising hospitals and public institutions. The body condemned the vandalism, which it said was disrupting water distribution and service provision, and apologised to customers.
The interruption comes after water shortages were reported in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, where families were exposed to contaminated water on 12 October. Taps running dry in Lilongwe had highlighted the difficulties of accessing water in the country.
