Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Collendavelloo visits the Bagatelle Water Treatment Plant

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Ivan Collendavelloo, accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry, the Central Water Authority, and the Water Resources Unit, conducted on Tuesday a site visit to the Bagatelle Water Treatment Plant. The aim was to take stock of the progress of work being undertaken since the beginning of February 2017 by the Chinese contractor JV HWPC/First Bureau/HUPD.

The Bagatelle Treatment Plant will produce 57,000 m3/day and will supply potable water at adequate pressure on a 24 hr basis to some 60,000 households in lower Plaine Wilhems and Port Louis. The regions are: lower Quatre Bornes, Belle Rose, Ollier, Roche Brunes, Stanley, Mont Roches, Rose Hill, Beau Bassin, Coromandel, and Belle Etoile. The project, to the tune of Rs 1,024 ,194 ,437, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019.

In a statement to the press, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Ivan Collendavelloo, underlined that the Bagatelle Dam was completed and impounded in December 2016 while adding that some delays occurred with the construction of the treatment plant due to legal proceedings. Following ruling from the Supreme Court in 2016, the Bagatelle Treatment plant contract was awarded and the project started on 2nd February 2017, he pointed out.

Speaking about the project, Mr Collendavelloo stated that upon its completion, other regions will benefit from the Bagatelle treatment plant. La Marie Treatment Plan is exporting 23,000 m3 of water daily to regions of lower Plaine Wilhems and once the Bagatelle Treatment plant is completed, 15,000 m3/day of the 23,000m3/day will be distributed to the south western regions such as Tamarin, La Gaulette, Roche Noires, Cotteau Raffin, Le Morne, and adjoining areas, he added.

He emphasised that the commissioning of the 32 kms of water pipe replacement, which started in Rose Hill-Beau Bassin, will coincide with the completion of the Bagatelle water treatment plant, which will supply water 24/7 with normal water pressure. Among the main objective of the Bagatelle Dam, he pointed out, is to ensure security, treatment and distribution of potable water in Port Louis.

The Bagatelle water treatment plant

The contract for the construction of the treatment plant was awarded on 10th November 2016. The design, construction, testing and commissioning started as from 2nd February 2017. According to the contractor, the period of notifying defects is from 26th February 2019 to 25th August 2020. From 26th February 2019 to 25th February 2020, operations and maintenance training will be conducted for CWA staff. As at now, 56% of the works have been completed.

The project comprises the construction of the following: ozonation contact tank, flash mixer, flocculators, new rapid gravity sand filters, chlorine contact tank, and clean water tank. It is for the first time in Mauritius that ozonation and flow distribution techniques will be carried out to get rid of algae in the dam water.