Relevance of groundwater quality assessment in the Lusaka aquifer

Lusaka was inaugurated as the new capital of Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) on 31 May 1935. At independence in 1964, the city had a population of only about 195,700. During this period, the city had the capacity to adequately cope with the provision of basic needs and services. However, when the country’s economic standing began to dwindle in the middle of the 1970s, the capacity to provide these services also began to be affected. The situation worsened from the mid 1980s, particularly with a heightened ruralurban migration in search of a better life. Because of financial constraints, the local authority began to experience problems with fulfilling most of its social obligations to city residents. This paper examines whether current socioeconomic and financial scenarios and a regulatory framework favour the supply of good quality groundwater in quantities that can facilitate development of the city.