The rehabilitation and expansion of Masar Water Plant is a key project of the Angolan government to improve people’s wellbeing, which was constructed by China Gezhouba Group ( CGGC) . The project has provided a healthy and high⁃quality water source for more than one million residents in Masar and the surrounding areas, allowing a more convenient water supply for residents and improving their quality of life.
Ⅰ． Ｂａｃｋｇｒｏｕｎｄ
Built in 1955, the Masar Water Plant is the largest water purification and supply center in Luanda City, supplying water to about 200,000 people in the business district and residential area at the city center. Due to the plant‘s dilapidated equipment and pipes and rapid increase in surrounding population, the water supply was inefficient, inadequate, and not properly purified. To solve this problem, the Angolan government applied for Chinese funds to rehabilitate and expand the water plant, and CGGC won the bid for the project in March 2010.
Ⅱ． Ｏｖｅｒｖｉｅｗ
The contract value of the project is 68.52 million USD, 85% of which is financed by China Development Bank ( CDB) , and 15% is raised by the plant owner. The project reviewed and changed the old design provided by the owner, removed old water purification facilities, reservoirs, and pumping stations; it built two 35,000⁃m 3 reservoirs, one pumping station, one pressure control room, one chlorination room, renovated water towers, improved underground pipeline network, and upgraded the No. 1 pumping station. In addition, industrial roads, greening, fence repair, and auxiliary work were completed.
The project started in February 2013. The principal part was completed at the end of 2016, and the acceptance was passed in December 2018. CDB provided a financing package for the project, with strong support from Angolas Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Water and Energy, and Public Water Utility of Luanda ( EPAL) in terms of construction site coordination, equipment import and cooperation with relevant government departments.
The project process has following highlights:
1. Optimizing the design scheme.
In the early stage of the project, three Chinese municipal design institutes participated in the design and planning, and conducted a comprehensive review of the structural safety, process advancement, technical rationality, equipment reliability, and construction feasibility of the original scheme; According to local market conditions, the de⁃ sign drawings were optimized with new gravity and pumping systems, and pipeline layouts were improved, thus maximizing the capacity of the water plant for storing incoming water and distributing water.
2. Pragmatic measures to advance the project.
In the early stage of the project implementation, CGGC planned implementation modes, management objectives, organization structure, resource allocation, cost control, and incentives and disciplines. Faced with challenging tasks such as site handover and checks on existing pipelines and unfavorable factors such as lack of equipment and materials and troubling rainy season, special construction plans were formulated in advance to ensure a smooth and rule⁃based start. During the implementation, we followed through every nook and cranny to prevent or correct mistakes.
3. Strictly controlling the quality.
During the construction, advanced construction techniques and new materials were used to solve the technical difficulties in using mass concrete, controlling cracking, and waterproofing expansion joints in super⁃long pool structures. At the same time, the pipeline design utilized height difference⁃induced gravity as much as possible for water treatment, which reduced energy consumption and saved water.The project strengthened the management and strictly controlled the quality of the construction and expansion joints according to the technical specifications to minimize possible hazards.
4. Tailor⁃made measures to benefit the local community.
During the implementation, foreign commercial engineers were employed under long⁃term contracts to manage commercial contracts in the project department. In this regard, their advantages in language and familiarity with local practices really helped. In addition, the project department organized many training sessions for the owner‘s staff on water plant operation, chlorination system operation, generator operation and management, central control room operation and management, and monitoring system operation and management, creating more than 500 jobs for the local community. After the project was hand⁃ ed over, CGGC designated staff to guide the owner’s technicians to operate and service the project, and there has been no fault so far.
Ⅲ． Ｍｅｔｈｏｄｏｌｏｇｙ
1. Craftsmanship for steady progress.
Two⁃level project planning and optimizing the implementation plan was completed in the early stage to set clear project management objectives and put in place a quality control system to strictly control technique selection, equipment and material procurement and acceptance, and installations, etc., which made each sub⁃project well controlled. At the same time, design optimization, procurement, and construction interface management were given equal focus to ensure seam⁃ less connection of all plans and smooth completion of the project.
2. Extensive consultation and joint construction.
During the early design and implementation, we respected the opinions of the owner and local practices, invited the construction supervisor and the technical staff of the owner to engage in the whole process, and imparted them the Chinese design concept of water supply and drainage and skills like the analysis and comparison methods of different design solutions, the optimization of design solutions, the determination of construction solutions, and on⁃site adjustments so as to train a group of design and construction technicians specialized in water sup⁃ ply and drainage for EPAL.
3. Tailor⁃made and people⁃oriented plans.
The project provides water to a million people in Luanda, including the residential areas, the seaside business district, the embassy district, the presidential palace, and other important areas. During the construction, the project made a detailed plan to switch over to new water reservoirs, underground pipes, and water supply facilities without interrupting water supply, which minimized the inconvenience brought by the construction to local residents.
4. Localized and harmonious management and operation.
The project team lived in harmony with full respect to the people, customs, and practices of Luanda, and guaranteed employees‘ right to paid leave entitled by law. The project is committed to environmental protection by strictly complying with local environmental laws and regulations and to community development by building roads for the local community, donating in cash and kind to schools, and providing safe drinking water and employment opportunities.
Ⅳ． Ｐｒｏｓｐｅｃｔｓ
After the project was handed over, the water plant has been operating well with sufficient daily water supply. The project has provided a Chinese solution for countries and regions in Africa with similar infrastructure. After the project, CGGC undertook several other projects in Angola, further cementing the friendship between Chinese and Angolan people.
Ｓｕｂｍｉｔｔｅｄ ｂｙ Ｃｈｉｎａ Ｇｅｚｈｏｕｂａ Ｇｒｏｕｐ
