K4 Project - A $270 million project to double the capacity of Karachi’s water supply system

With a population of 16 million people, Pakistan's financial capital is already one of the most populous cities in the world. Its population is projected to reach 28 million by 2020, driven mainly by increasing industrial activity and migration into the area.
"Population and industrial zone expansion is expected to generate an additional 120MIGD (545,520m3/d) of water demand every two years."
Current water demand in the city runs at around 600MIGD (2,727,600m3/d), of which approximately 500MIGD is drawn from the Indus River, 150km away, and the remaining 100MIGD from the Hub Dam, some 40km distant.To meet the increased demand for water, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has proposed the construction of an additional 600 MIGD (2,727,600m3/d) water supply system, known as the K4 Water Supply Project, which will draw water entirely from the Indus River.The components of K4 include the construction of four 150km channels, each with a flow rate of 150 MIGD (681,900m3/d), the construction of two pumping stations totalling 600 MIGD (2,727,600 m3/d) on the existing Keenjhar channel, two new water treatment plants totalling 600MIGD (2,727,600m3/d), and two reservoirs of 25 MIG (113,650m3) each.
The four channels will extend from the western side of the Keenjhar Canal into the north-eastern part of the Karachi area. The topography should help in the transmission of water through gravitational pull, leading to energy savings, according to Misbauddin Farid, GM KWSB.
The project cost of K4 is estimated at PKR22 billion ($273 million), & the initial phase, estimated at PKR12 billion ($149 million), will encompass the majority of the land acquisition, as well as survey & consulting work, & civil works for the reservoirs & pumping stations.
For funding, KWSB would prefer to rely on federal grants for the entire amount. However, it seems likely that some contribution from financial institutions such as the Asian Development Bank will also be sought.
On the sanitation side, a 200 MIGD (909,200m3/d) project has already been approved by the Sindh government. The Greater Karachi Sewage Treatment Project, also known as Project S3, will cost around PKR9 billion ($112 million). It will include the construction of several new WWTPs, as well as the renovation of existing facilities, and the construction of new trunk sewers. The acquisition of land for the project at Korangi has been completed.

Source: Global Water Intelligence Back