ABSTRACT
This chapter establishes the history of water supply for the mining company, and its relationship with Kitwe City Council (KCC), and examines the physical aspects of water supply, including the distribution networks, types of water connections, consumption levels, and the Kitwe Development Plan and Water Supply Project attempt to forecast future demand. It analyses the equity of Zambia's Water Supply and Sanitation Sector by relating water charges to consumption and income, and explores an alternative pricing policy. Kitwe's tariff is compared with that of another city in Zambia and other pricing policies to determine their impact on the city. The chapter finds that water provision in Nkana-Kitwe was historically a social overhead capital, a necessary expense for the development of the mines, and consumption grew rapidly to warrant a number of studies with a view to increase supply. It analyses the current cost recovery approach in Kitwe, exploring issues of equity and affordability by comparing income and water charges.
