Corporate Profile: The Water Utilities Corporation, a parastatal corporate body wholly owned by the Botswana government, was incorporated in 1970 the Water Utilities Corporation Act of 1970 (Laws of Botswana Cap 74:02) to provide water supply service to the urban areas of Botswana. This mandate of the Corporation, requires that it operates along commercial lines and therefore able to support its operations.

Since its inception the Corporation has been instrumental in providing water requirements in the country for major development projects which have in turn contributed immensely to national economic growth.

The BCL Limited copper and nickel mine in Selebi-Phikwe and the Botswana Meat Commission's abbatoir in Lobatse have benefitted from a 24-hour uninterrupted water supply from the Corporation since inception. Today, the Corporation boasts of a capacity to support mining, manufacturing, commercial and domestic activities in the towns and villages of Sowa, Francistown, Selebi-Phikwe, Tonota, Mahalapye, Palapye, Mochudi, Gaborone, Tlokweng, Mogoditshane, Ramotswa, Lobatse and Jwaneng.

The Corporation's investment in infrastructure for the provision of water supply rose from P407 million to P2.043 billion between the years 2001 and 2003 mainly due to the North South Carrier Water infrastructure which alone cost P1.5 billion. This project will enable the Corporation to meet water demand in Selebi-Phikwe, Mmadinare, Mahalapye/Palapye, Mochudi/Bokaa/Oodi, the greater Gaborone area and Lobatse up to 2010. As part of the North South Carrier Water Project, the Gaborone distribution network was upgraded in 1999.

The Corporation's responsibility covers a wide range of activities from operations to maintenance of five dams, namely Gaborone, Nnywane (near Lobatse), Shashe, Bokaa and Letsibogo (near Mmadinare). The process of operation includes treatment, pumping, storage and distribution to consumers. The cost of water arises from the expertise, plant, power, equipment and chemicals needed to protect, extract, treat, store and distribute water to the consumer.

The Water Utilities Corporation follows a well-proven concept of flash mixing of chemicals for coagulation by addition of chemicals such as Polyelectrolyte or Polymers in the raw water. Coagulation is followed by flocculation, sedimentation, rapid sand filtration, disinfection, storage and distribution respectively. The Corporation maintains strict water quality standards to ensure compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and internal standards. Regular biological water quality assessment of water sources (resevoirs) and monitoring of the quality of water supplies at distribution, Treatment Plants and Storage Tanks is undertaken. Every two hours Water Quality staff check the quality of raw water, settled water and treated water to ensure that water leaving the plant complies with set standards. A major analysis is also carried out every week which includes among other things bacterial analysis.