The status of water and sanitation in newly planned residential areas in Lusaka: a case of Kwamwena valley
Zambia is among the most urbanized countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and is faced with urban development challenges in the provision of basic infrastructure such as water and sanitation to an ever-increasing urban population. Lusaka has over the years undergone a rapid urban expansion in the growth of residential areas without a corresponding expansion in the provision of water and sanitation. The study is aimed at analysing the nature of challenges faced in the provision of water and sanitation services in newly planned residential areas in Lusaka. The study sought to assess the nature of water and sanitation provision in Kwamwena Valley, challenges faced by the residents in accessing water as well as the challenges faced by the residents in accessing sanitation services in the area. The study was based on data collected from 120 household questionnaires conveniently sampled and supplemented by seven key informants purposively selected from institutions with a stake in water and sanitation. The results obtained show that there is on-site provision of water and sanitation in Kwamwena valley. For water provision, the results indicated that the main sources of water for the residents are private boreholes with elevated tanks and submersible pumps (58.3 percent), hand pumps (20 percent), communal taps (3.3 percent) and shallow wells (3.3 percent) while others did not have onsite water (13.6 percent). For sanitation, results indicated that the main sanitation facilities included pit latrines which accounted for 45 percent, flush toilets 35 percent and Ventilated Improved Pit-latrines (VIP) toilets at 20 percent. Out of 120 households interviewed, 56.7 percent of the residents reported that they faced challenges in accessing water while 43.3 percent did not, and the main challenges included costs of installing boreholes and drawing water among others. For sanitation, results showed that the main challenges faced are septic tanks filling up within short periods, the cost and poor pit latrine emptying services, poor construction of pit-latrines among other things. This study concludes that the inadequacy in the provision of water and sanitation by LWSC given the population increase and growth of new settlements leads to on-site provision of water and sanitation by residents. This is however unsustainable and may cause both environmental and health problems due to the increase in the number of boreholes drilled and septic tanks built. As such there is need to come up with a more sustainable way of providing these service to residents as areas are planned. Key words: Water, Sanitation, Urbanisation, Settlements
Water, supply--Zambia, Sanitation, Household--Zambia
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