MULONGA Water and Sewerage Company(MWSC) is scouting for K500 billion to overhaul dilapidated infrastructure in three districts on the Copperbelt to improve water reticulation, company director Manuel Mutale has said.

The districts to be worked on include Chingola, Chililabombwe and Mufulira which were also expected to increase revenue collection for the company to at least 95 per cent in 2010 from the current 60 per cent.

And the water utility firm has recorded a K54.5 billion revenue collection for the year 2009.

Speaking at a media briefing at Protea Hotel in Chingola yesterday, Mr Mutale said the water reforms implemented by the Government on October 1, 2007 had brought a lot of benefits to the company.

He said before the water reforms the company's revenue was extremely low especially areas whose water infrastructure was completely run down and that, most of the customers in these areas were self employed.

The positive strides recorded after the water reforms were the Kansuswa project in Mufulira and Chiwempala in Chingola.

The others are messaging system for customers' Direct Debit Aaccount (DDACC), the bill signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zanaco bank for bill buster and the construction of the modern laboratory.

Mr Mutale said K5.5 billion had been sourced for the Kansuswa sanitation project in Mufulira.

He said MWSC was targeting to realise K58.9 billion next year and reduce uncounted for water from the current 42 per cent to 32 per cent.

The metering project stands at 46 per cent and Mr Mutale was hopeful that in 2010, the company would move to 55 per cent.

Mr Mutale said Mulonga which has 40,000 customers was voted third best water utility firm in the country by the National Water and Sanitation Company (NWASCO).

He however said the water quality in Chingola was still a challenge because of mineral particles.

He said despite the benefits and the revenues collected from the mines, the water treatment plant located in the plant area was exposed to gas emissions from copper extraction process.

Mr Mutale said for the company to get the required water quality the firm was spending more than K250 million per month on water treatment chemicals.