LUSAKA: Sanitation Status
Sanitation provision in Lusaka (the capital city of Zambia) is grossly deficient, as in most cities in sub-Saharan Africa: most people do not have access to a hygienic toilet; large amounts of faecal waste are discharged to the environment without adequate treatment; this is likely to have major impacts on infectious disease burden and quality of life (Hutton et al. 2007). This article briefly summarizes the current sanitation situation in Lusaka.
This page is part of the fully editable open-access reference source on the sanitation status of all major cities in sub-Saharan Africa. The resource considers the 40 urban agglomerations in sub-Saharan Africa with a current population of 1 million or more. To read some of the other 40 country profiles, go back tothe resource Homepage.
N.B These pages should be considered as incomplete provisional drafts, and contributions are actively requested from specialists with expert local knowledge of each specific city
Table of Contents
- Background information
- Water resources and supply: overview
- Sanitation access
- Sewerage system
- Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
- Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
- Sanitation in low-income districts
- Responsibility
- Sanitation masterplan?
- Sanitation financing
- Major investments and donor interventions
- Sources and further reading
- References
- Other City Profiles
Background information
Lusaka is an urban agglomeration with a population of about 1.8 million people (Brinkhoff 2010). It is a fairly flat inland city at an altitude of about 1300 m above sea level, with no major rivers. Climate is humid subtropical (Köppen classification Cwa). Flooding is common, especially in informal settlements (LCC 2010). Pollutant industries include cement production and food-processing. There is significant agricultural activity within the urban area (Hampwaye et al. 2007). A very large proportion of the population lives in low-income settlements: the World Bank (2002) estimates that 70% of the population lives in low-income informal settlements.
Water resources and supply: overview
Total water production is reported to be about 210,000 m3/day (Mpamba et al. 2003) to 260,000 m3/day (NWASCO 2009), about half from Kafue River (50 km to the south) and half from groundwater (Mpamba et al. 2008). The national regularory authority NWASCO reports that 78% of the population has access to the piped supply (NWASCO 2009, page 32); however, as noted below (Sanitation in low-income districts), the quality of service is probably very poor in most low-icnome settlements. NWASCO (2009) further reports that average hours of supply per day = 16; percentage of samples complying with water quality guidelines = 84%; unaccounted-for water (UfW) = 51%; this report also contains extensive additional information on water supply performance and water tariffing. The Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company lists a total of 71,417 connections (of which 66,175 domestic) in Lusaka and the 3 nearby towns of Kafue, Chongwe and Luangwa (total population in service area 1.7 million) (NWASCO 2009).
Sanitation access
According to NWASCO (2009), as at 2008/2009 only 17% of the population served by LWSC has adequate sanitation, defined by NWASCO as sewerage or septic tank; this is markedly below the national average for urban areas (34%). A 1997 study of 9 non-regularized informal settlements (see World Bank 2002) reported that over 90% of people used unimproved pit latrines, and over 60 percent of households shared latrines. Cholera outbreaks occur regularly (Sinkala et al. 2004).
Sewerage system
We have no recent data on sewerage in Lusaka, leading us to suspect that any system that exists is dysfunctional or nearly so. Settled (solids-free) sewerage systems [“sewered aqua privies”] are reported to be in use in some districts of Lusaka (UNEP/IETC 2002), but we are not aware of any recent reports on these systems.
Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
No information: as far as we are aware, Lusaka has no formal systems for septage management.
Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
No information: as far as we are aware, Lusaka has no functional sewage treatment facilities.
Sanitation in low-income districts
We are not aware of any detailed mapping of high-sanitation-need districts, or of any specific policy for sanitation improvement in informal settlements. However, the World Bank has produced a detailed study of informal settlements, with recommendations for ugrading (World Bank 2002); see also Mulenga (2003). The World Bank (2002) report estimates that 70% of the population lives in informal settlements; the report identifies a total of 37 such settlements, of which 13 had not been “regularized”(i.e. formally recognized as settlements) by the municipal authorities. The non-regularized settlements included (as at 2002) Freedom, John Howard, John Laing, Linda, Marapodi/Mandevu, Mazyopa, Misisi/Frank, and Nyerere/Cook. A 1997 study of 9 of the 13 non-regularized settlements (see World Bank 2002) reported that water is supplied from the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company’s (LWSC’s) piped supply, boreholes, or hand-dug wells, with over 80 percent of the respondents saying that water distribution is poor; over 90% of respondents used unimproved pit latrines, which were judged to pollute the hand-dug wells; over 60 percent of households shared latrines.
Responsibility
Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company Limited. [“Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company Limited was incorporated in 1988 following a decision through a Lusaka City Council resolution and based on recommendations by a study sponsored by the German Government operating through the Geselleschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). The Company is divided into 8 operational branches namely Central, Kabulonga, Kabwata, Lumumba, Chelstone, Chawama (covering all peri-urban areas in the South East of the City), George (covering all peri-urban areas in North-East of the City) and Lusaka East (covering all informal settlements in the Eastern part of the city.” www.lwsc.com.zm/overview.htm] Lusaka WSC also serves 3 nearby towns. Nationally, water and sanitation in Zambia is regulated by the National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), http://www.nwasco.org.zm/index.php. NWASCO has established a special fund for supplying water and sanitation services to the urban poor, the Devolution Trust Fund (DTF) (http://dtf.nwasco.org.zm/).
Sanitation masterplan?
Probably pending. A tender for consultancy services to prepare a Water and Sanitation Master Plan for Lusaka, with World Bank funding, was released on 5 August 2009 (dgMarket 2009). The World Bank (2002) states that a Peri-Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy has been developed with UNDP-World Bank assistance, but that “important issues of access, drainage, solid waste management, community facilities and land and tenure still need to be considered”.
Sanitation financing
NWASCO (2009) provides very detailed information
Major investments and donor interventions
The WSUP Lusaka Project aims to improve access to safe water, sanitation and drainage services for 100,000 people in two peri-urban settlements, Kanyama and Chazanga. This project will centre on priovision of communal standpipes and on generation of demand for latrines, and particularly dry-composting latrines. As at May 2010, initial phases of this project are reported to have commenced. http://www.wsup.com/whatwedo/lusaka.htm
Sources and further reading
The Water Utility Partnership has produced a very detailed case study of diverse aspects of management of the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company, with specific reference to low-income settlements; see WUP (2000a-2000d) and WUP (2001).
Extensive sector monitoring documentation is also available from NWASCO (National Water Supply & Sanitation Council): http://www.nwasco.org.zm/index.php
DTF (Water and Sanitation to the Urban Poor): http://dtf.nwasco.org.zm/
References
Brinkhoff T (2010) City Population. http://www.citypopulation.de
dgMarket (2009) Consultancy Services to prepare a Water and Sanitation Master plan. Request For Expressions of Interest. http://www.dgmarket.com/tenders/np-notice.do~4223630
Hampwaye G, Nel E & Rogerson CM (2007) Urban agriculture as local initiative in Lusaka, Zambia. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 25(4): 553–572. http://www.envplan.com/abstract.cgi?id=c7p
Hutton G, Haller L & Bartram J (2007) Economic and health effects of increasing coverage of low cost household drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to countries off-track to meet MDG target 10. Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization. http://www.irc.nl/page/38443
LCC [Lusaka City Council] (2010) Major causes of floods in Lusaka. http://www.lcc.gov.zm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=114:major-causes-of-floods-in-lusaka&catid=1:latest-news
Mpamba NH et al. (2008) Evidence and implications of groundwater mining in the Lusaka urban aquifers. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 33(8-13): 648-654. DOI: 10.1016/j.pce.2008.06.015. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6X1W-4SWWT5V-6/2/0e2d2e18a96be69a1936d7a3b39df8aa
Mulenga CL (2003) Urban Slums Reports: The case of Lusaka, Zambia. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu-projects/Global_Report/pdfs/Lusaka.pdf
NWASCO (2009) Urban and Peri-urban Water Supply and Sanitation Report 2008/2009. http://www.nwasco.org.zm/uploads/2008-9.pdf
Sinkala M et al. (2004) Cholera Epidemic Associated with Raw Vegetables - Lusaka, Zambia, 2003-2004. MMWR Weekly 53(34): 783-786. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5334a2.htm
UNEP/GRID-Arendal (2002) Water availability in Africa. UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/water_availability_in_africa.
UNEP/IETC (2002) International Source Book on Environmentally Sound Technologies for Wastewater and Stormwater Management. http://www.unep.or.jp/Ietc/Publications/TechPublications/TechPub-15/main_index.asp
World Bank (2002) Upgrading low-income urban settlements: Country Assessment Report, Zambia. http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/upgrading/case-examples/overview-africa/country-assessments/Zambia.html
WUP (2000b) Strengthening Capacity of Water Utilities to Provide Water Supply and Sanitation Services, Environmental and Hygiene Education in a Sustainable Way to Low Income Urban Areas: Case Study of Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company: 2) LWSC’s Institutional Arrangements for Dealing with Peri-Urban Areas. http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/waterandsanitation/resources/pdf-files/Wup5CaseStudyZambia-2-Insti.pdf
WUP (2000c) Strengthening Capacity of Water Utilities to Provide Water Supply and Sanitation Services, Environmental and Hygiene Education in a Sustainable Way to Low Income Urban Areas: Case Study of Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company: 3) Community Organisation, Systems and Approaches to Peri Urban Water Supply with Reference to Chipata Compound. http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/waterandsanitation/resources/pdf-files/Wup5CaseStudyZambia-4-Paymt.pdf
WUP (2000d) Strengthening Capacity of Water Utilities to Provide Water Supply and Sanitation Services, Environmental and Hygiene Education in a Sustainable Way to Low Income Urban Areas: Case Study of Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company: 4) Payment Systems for Low Income Urban Communities. http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/waterandsanitation/resources/pdf-files/Wup5CaseStudyZambia-4-Paymt.pdf
WUP (2001) Strengthening Capacity of Water Utilities to Provide Water Supply and Sanitation Services, Environmental and Hygiene Education in a Sustainable Way to Low Income Urban Areas: Case Study of Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company. National Context: Water and Sanitation Delivery to Low Income Urban Communities in Zambia. http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/waterandsanitation/resources/pdf-files/Wup5CaseStudyZambia-1-Legal.pdf
WUP [Water Utility Partnership] (2000a) Strengthening Capacity of Water Utilities to Provide Water Supply and Sanitation Services, Environmental and Hygiene Education in a Sustainable Way to Low Income Urban Areas: Case Study of Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company: 1) Legal and Regulatory Framework for Water and Sanitation in Zambia - Specific to Peri Urban Sector. http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/waterandsanitation/resources/pdf-files/Wup5CaseStudyZambia-1-Legal.pdf
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