By Cecilia Chiluba/Zambia/Lusaka
Zambia’s Eastern Water and Sanitation Company Limited (EWSC) has suspended water supply to all customers in Lundazi District after flash floods submerged and severely damaged its water treatment plant, the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation has announced.
According to the Ministry, heavy rainfall that hit Lundazi on December 30, 2025, caused extensive flooding that submerged the EWSC water treatment plant and washed away the dam embankment supplying the facility, resulting in an immediate halt to water production in the district.
Minister of Water Development and Sanitation Eng. Collins Nzovu said the floods damaged key infrastructure at the plant, including the water intake structure, all electrical control panels, pumps, and chemical dosing equipment, leaving the facility completely non-operational.
“As a result of this damage, the treatment plant has been completely shut down, and no water production can resume until the damaged equipment and infrastructure are fully replaced,” Eng. Nzovu stated.
In response, Government, working with Eastern Water and Sanitation Company Limited and other stakeholders, has rolled out emergency measures to mitigate the impact on affected communities.
According to the Minister, five water bowsers have been deployed to distribute treated water across Lundazi, while two existing boreholes drilled under the Drought Response Programme are being equipped and operationalized to pump water into EWSC reservoirs for onward distribution.
He said as part of medium-term measures, Government has also facilitated the drilling and equipping of four additional commercial boreholes, which will be connected directly to the water distribution network, increasing the total number of boreholes supplying Lundazi to six.
“Government is cognisant of the risks associated with the disruption of water supply and wishes to assure the public that emergency interventions are being implemented, in collaboration with Eastern Water and Sanitation Company Limited and other stakeholders, to restore water supply in the shortest possible time,” Eng. Nzovu stressed.
Eng. Nzovu added that over the long term, plans are underway to rehabilitate the damaged water treatment plant, including the replacement of all affected infrastructure and equipment, as well as the reinstatement of the dam embankment that was washed away by the floods.
He urged residents to remain calm as alternative water sources are explored, encouraging strict hygiene and safety practices while accessing water during the disruption.
The Minister expressed sympathy with affected communities and reaffirmed Government’s commitment to ensuring the provision of clean and safe water, as Eastern Water and Sanitation Company Limited works to restore normal supply in Lundazi District.
