NWSC partners with EACOP project to support pipeline devp’t with water supply.
Drake Nyamugabwa
The EACOP Project phase, which will see the new Oil Pipeline constructed from Kabale in Hoima National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in commitment towards transforming Uganda’s economy, has partnered with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP) to support their ongoing Oil Pipeline development Project, through the provision of adequate and reliable water supply services for their project.
The EACOP is a 1,443km crude oil export pipeline that will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Kabaale – Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in, through Mubende, Sembabule, Mutukula, and then Tanzania, will have several Pumping Stations, Main Camps and Pipe Yards. To facilitate their operations, NWSC has been requested to extend reliable water supply services to these stations.
As such, NWSC recently held a meeting with a Technical Team from EACOP to discuss the modalities of structuring the intervention. The team Representing EACOP included; Emmanuel Blarez (Project Director), Hedi Dendani (Manager Regulatory Compliance), and Lawrence Ssempagi (Regulatory Compliance Uganda Head).
NWSC had Eng. Alex Gisagara (Senior Director Engineering Services – representing the Managing Director), Eng. Denis Taremwa (Senior Manager IP&D), Alex Natwijuka (Area Manager Sembabule), and Cream Treasure (Senior PR Central Region).
From the meeting, EACOP confirmed that their Camp activities will be commencing in July 2022, by which time, water should have been connected to their sites in Mubende, Sembabule and Kyotera. At the same time, the water supply requirements for each of the sites was elaborated as 120,000litres per day for Pump Station 2 in Sembabule, 200,000 litres per day for Camp 2 in Mubende, 200,000 liters per day for Camp 3 in Sembabule and 200,000 liters per day for Camp 4 in Kyotera.
Furthermore, the parties agreed upon and clarified that; The water required shall be for domestic use and should comply with the National Potable Water Quality standards for Uganda
Also that NWSC shall undertake the Design-Procurement-Construction of the proposed interventions, extend water to the boundaries of the respective camps after which the internal network shall be the responsibility of the respective Camp contractors and it shall prepare and submit Technical and Commercial Proposals for the proposed interventions to EACOP for review and financing. Waste management shall be managed by the respective Camp contractors under a separate arrangement
Whereas the other Towns were noted as having stable supply, the existing Kyotera water supply system has a low capacity, in which case NWSC shall be required to drill additional boreholes to boost the current production.
From the discussions, it was agreed that the Teams arrange a joint site visit to all the Camp sites in the first week of February, to undertake detailed investigations and embark on the design process, with the aim of having the proposals ready by mid-March 2022.
The project is expected to not only benefit the EACOP Camp sites, but the surrounding communities in Kyotera, Mubende and Sembabule as well.
