Mmamashia is a location in

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

about north of the capital city of

Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census. Gaboron ...

that is the site of the Mmamashia water treatment plant and master balancing reservoir.

Waterworks

The reservoir and plant are operated and maintained by the Water Utilities Corporation. The original source of supply was the

Bokaa Dam The Bokaa Dam is a dam on the Metsimotlhabe River, a tributary of the Ngotwane River, in Botswana. It provides water to the capital city of Gaborone. It is operated by the Water Utilities Corporation (Botswana), Water Utilities Corporation. Struc ...

, directly to the north. Implementation of the

North-South Carrier The North-South Carrier (NSC) is a pipeline in Botswana that carries raw water south for a distance of to the capital city of Gaborone. Phase 1 was completed in 2000. Phase 2 of the NSC, under construction, will duplicate the pipeline to carry ...

water project in 2000 brought raw water to the plant from the

Letsibogo Dam The Letsibogo Dam is a dam on the Motloutse River in Botswana, built to initially provide water to the industrial town of Selebi-Phikwe and surrounding local areas, with potential for use in irrigation. The dam now supplies Gaborone, the capital o ...

on the

Motloutse River The Motloutse River is a river in Botswana, a tributary of the Limpopo River. The catchment area is . The Letsibogo Dam on the Motloutse has been built to serve the industrial town of Selebi-Phikwe and surrounding local areas, with potential for ...

, much further north. After treatment the water is distributed to consumers in the

area. The reservoir is built of reinforced concrete, and has a capacity of . The reservoir is closed to minimize loss through evaporation. As of 2003 the plant had capacity of per day. That year there was a shortage of water from the Letsibogo Dam, planned to be the primary supply. Instead, the plant was using water from the

Gaborone Dam The Gaborone Dam is a dam on the Notwane River in Botswana with a capacity of . The dam is operated by the Water Utilities Corporation, and supplies water to the capital city of Gaborone. Location The Gaborone Dam is located south of Gaborone ...

and water imported from

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. Phase 2 of the North-South Carrier Water Project brings additional water from the

Dikgatlhong Dam The Dikgatlhong Dam is a dam near the village of Robelela on the Shashe River in Botswana, completed in December 2011. When full it will hold . The next largest dam in Botswana, the Gaborone Dam, has capacity of . Purpose The dam is located on t ...

. The additional water is expected to come available in 2014. The Mmamashia plant will be upgraded with an additional capacity of 45 Ml/d pre-treatment, due to eutrophication at Bokaa, and 45 Ml/day secondary treatment.

Social impact

Thirteen families were forced to move for construction of the Mmamashia regulating pond, receiving compensation. Construction of a road from Mmamashia to

Malolwane Malolwane is a village in Kgatleng District of Botswana. The village is located 70 km east of Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of ...

in the

Kgatleng District Kgatleng is one of the districts of Botswana, coterminous with the homeland of the Bakgatla people. Its capital is Mochudi, the hometown of protagonist Precious Ramotswe in Alexander McCall Smith's popular ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'' s ...

was scheduled to start in June 2008, passing between the Matebeleng and Oodi villages. The government was compensating farmers who lost land. In May 2012 six families of squatters at Mmamashia with 37 children were evicted and their homes demolished by the Kgatleng Landboard. The residents said they had been allocated some of the land by Kgosi Molefi and the rest by Kgosi Linchwe, and had occupied and farmed it for seventy years.

References

Citations Sources * * * * * * {{refend Infrastructure in Botswana Buildings and structures in Botswana Water treatment facilities