Description for Kamuzu I Dam (Malawi)

The scope of the assignment is the raising, rehabilitation and upgrade of the existing Kamuzu I dam for water supply of Lilongwe (Malawi).

The project will improve reliable water supply and is essential as the population of Lilongwe is expected to double in the next 20 years.

For this project Studio Pietrangeli will be not only involved in the design and tender documents preparation process but also in the supervision of construction under a FIDIC Contract.

This project foresees an increase of water reservoir storage by the increase of the height of the existing dam. The main section is a gravity type and it will be raised of 5 meters. Left and right parts are earthfill dams and the design foresees an elevation of 4.5 meters. The existing spillway will host a new pumping house and will be raised of additional 2 m by the use of a rubber dam.

The inflatable rubber dam is foreseen with a Mechanical Automatic Deflation System (MADS).

When Kamuzu I project will be completed the reservoir storage will be increased by five times, i.e. from 5 Mm³ to 25 Mm³, becoming the most important water storage facility for the city of Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi.