In future water projects, MCC should ensure an adequate understanding of water quality and its determinants. MCC designed the Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation, and Drainage project under the assumption that water quality in the existing network met international standards. This is reflected in the cost-benefit analysis, where three quarters of the benefits were health benefits from improved access to clean water, and in the project logic. An in-depth study carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2015-2016 identified major water quality concerns. The final evaluation further confirmed that water in the network remained inadequately chlorinated and additionally suffered from high nitrate and nitrite levels.
Lesson Learned