Tetra Tech’s Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation, and Drainage Project Team Wins Company’s 2019 Project Management Achievement Award
Improving the water supply, sanitation, and drainage infrastructure to support poverty reduction and economic growth
Tetra Tech has supported the Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation, and Drainage (LWSSD) Project for 10 years, providing support from project inception through completion. Led by our Marlborough, Massachusetts, design center, Tetra Tech provided master planning, investment decision support, environmental and social impact assessment, and resettlement planning to improve water and sanitation infrastructure in Lusaka, Zambia.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia prioritized access to a clean and safe water supply, adequate sanitation, and drainage in Lusaka as key to Zambia’s economic and social development. Tetra Tech completed several assessments and plans to meet the water, sanitation, and drainage needs of Lusaka’s 190,000 residents and future population growth. These efforts included a sanitation master plan and associated sanitation investment plan, an environmental and social impact assessment, and resettlement support for more than 5,000 homes, businesses, farms, small structures, and other entities impacted by the proposed infrastructure construction.
The infrastructure improvements included rehabilitation of the main water treatment plant; rehabilitation of 10 water distribution centers; construction of 35 community water kiosks; installation of 200 miles of bulk and distribution water pipes; construction of 15 miles of concrete stormwater drains; and rehabilitation and expansion of wastewater treatment ponds. Over the course of the project, the team worked with four end clients: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), and Millennium Project Completion Agency-Zambia.
“It has been a great honor to work on this important project for Zambia from the very beginning to the end, nearly 10 years later,” said Terri Stiffler, Tetra Tech’s Project Manager. “Working with such dedicated clients and our in-country team, who worked tirelessly to bring this project to fruition, was inspiring. The best part of the project is knowing that many people throughout Lusaka should experience greatly improved health benefits from an improved water and sanitation system, and reduced flooding.”
Tetra Tech began work on the LWSSD Project with the Sanitation Master Plan, then prepared the MCC Investment Plan. We then completed preliminary design and environmental and social assessments. The team mitigated all construction delays while adapting to unanticipated obstacles such as urban growth and resettlement impacts.
The water, sanitation, and drainage improvements Tetra Tech identified expand access to and increase the reliability of drinking water and sanitary sewer systems and mitigate flooding in selected urban and peri-urban areas of the City of Lusaka. These projects are expected to increase the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company’s (LWSC) available water supply from 230 to 240 million liters per day and reduce the utility’s non-revenue water by more than 23 percent.
Our team facilitated resettlement compensation packages to minimize community impacts from the water sanitation and drainage improvements, supporting residents while achieving our client’s goals. Our resettlement team provided technical and advisory services to compensate project-affected persons, advance livelihood restoration, and resolve grievances of those displaced within the construction corridors. To minimize community impacts, we worked closely with construction contractors to adjust the alignment of the construction corridors for the water distribution pipelines, avoiding properties and businesses where possible.
The team demonstrated exceptional attention to detail and efficiency, met client’s budgets and schedules, advanced their mission to reduce poverty through economic growth, and exceeded Tetra Tech’s business objectives. The team quickly established business registration, develop an efficient project payroll process, and support our field team with exceptional assistance for monumental department success.
Tetra Tech’s critical assistance for improved water supply, sanitation, and drainage infrastructure supports poverty reduction and economic growth for Zambia. Congratulations to the team on providing exemplary service to support our clients’ missions, positioning Tetra Tech to win new work, and achieving sound financial performance.
