This high-level strategic project involves the development of a comprehensive Water Infrastructure Masterplan for Malawi’s capital. Funded by the World Bank and managed by the Lilongwe Water Board (LWB), the assignment is a critical component of the broader Lilongwe Water Supply and Sanitation Project. The primary goal is to create a sustainable roadmap for water investment and the rehabilitation of the city’s aging infrastructure to meet the demands of a growing urban population.

MK Consulting Engineers collaborated as an associate consultant with the international firm Royal Haskoning DHV on this ten-month assignment. The project, valued at USD 500,000, combines technical engineering assessments with socio-economic forecasting to secure Lilongwe’s water future.

Narrative Description and Strategic Goals

The Masterplan serves as the blueprint for all future water-related capital investments in Lilongwe. It addresses the dual challenges of infrastructure decay and increasing water scarcity.

• Investment Planning: Developing a prioritized list of capital projects (The Water Investment Plan) to guide the board’s spending over the coming decades.

• Rehabilitation Strategy: Identifying critical failure points in the existing network—including treatment plants, pumping stations, and distribution lines—to plan for urgent repairs and upgrades.

• Sustainability: Ensuring that new infrastructure is resilient to climate change and environmental shifts, specifically focusing on the city’s primary water sources.

Professional Services and Technical Methodology

The consultancy team provided an integrated approach to data-driven urban planning. Key services included:

• Infrastructure Condition Assessment: Conducting rigorous technical audits of current assets to determine their remaining useful life and operational efficiency.

• Hydrological and Engineering Analysis: Utilizing expert modeling to understand water availability and supply dynamics across the city’s various pressure zones.

• Feasibility Studies: Executing both Socio-Economic and Environmental Feasibility studies to ensure that proposed investments are socially equitable and ecologically sound.

• Public and Stakeholder Engagement: Carrying out a Customer Satisfaction Survey to capture the needs and challenges of the end-users, ensuring the masterplan is grounded in the lived reality of Lilongwe’s residents.

• Data Synthesis: Consolidating field data and survey results into a structured Investment Plan used for high-level decision-making and international donor financing.

Project Leadership and Technical Experts

The assignment utilized a specialized team to address the complex requirements of the World Bank and LWB:

• Eng. Moses Kalenga (Project Coordinator): Managed local logistics, stakeholder coordination, and the integration of local data into the global masterplan framework.

• Dr. Godfrey Chavula (Hydrology Expert): Provided senior-level expertise in water resource management and hydrological modeling for the Lilongwe catchment area.

• Daniel Chaweza (Water Supply Engineer): Focused on the technical design aspects of the supply network and the engineering requirements for rehabilitation works.

The project was overseen on the client side by Maclenan Guy Nyang’wa, the Director of Infrastructure for the Lilongwe Water Board.