The government is intensifying efforts to rehabilitate and expand its rural water supply systems, with a target of achieving universal access to clean water by 2030. The initiative comes as part of the government's broader plan to address the needs of over 2,900 villages known as Imidugudu which currently lack access to clean and reliable water. According to the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), 55 rural water supply systems are being rehabilitated and extended this year in 13 districts, including Rutsiro, Rusizi, Huye, Bugesera, Nyamagabe, Gakenke, Nyabihu, Ruhango, Nyaruguru, and Kayonza among others. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s water utility is leveraging tech to combat corruption These projects primarily target rural areas where a large number of water systems are either damaged or non-functional, according to officials. Robert Bimenyimana, the WASAC Group Spokesperson, said the underserved communities are being prioritised in line with the national strategy to achieve universal access to clean water by 2030, in alignment with the NST2 targets. The aim, he said, is to extend clean water access to all citizens, especially in underserved rural communities. “The full plan includes the rehabilitation of 1,785 water networks and the extension of pipelines by 4,637 kilometers. And several water treatment plants will be upgraded or newly constructed to boost the country’s daily water production capacity from 329,652 cubic meters to 688,686 cubic meters,” he noted According to Bimenyimana, for years many rural water systems suffered from poor maintenance, aging infrastructure, and weak local management. “Historically, rural water supply systems were managed by private operators under the supervision of local governments, while WASAC's mandate was limited primarily to urban areas,” he explained. ALSO READ: MPs task WASAC to resolve water issues, implement Auditor General’s recommendations According to WASAC, due to the previous decentralized and fragmented management approach, comprehensive data on the duration of system non-functionality is limited, as it varies by location and is affected by inconsistent maintenance records over the years. Bimenyimana said that there are several root causes of pipeline and system failures including aging infrastructure, where many systems were built decades ago and haven’t been upgraded. “Poor maintenance, shortages of spare parts and skilled technicians led to prolonged outages. Environmental factors including floods, landslides, and droughts have repeatedly damaged infrastructure,” he said. “Weak local management due to limited technical and managerial capacity among private operators and local communities. Illegal connections and vandalism which have caused significant physical damage and water loss,” he added. Under the first phase, 55 systems are scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. The second phase, expected to complete by the end of 2029, will focus on an additional 67 systems. Districts lined up for the second phase include Kirehe, Kayonza, Rwamagana, Kamonyi, Muhanga, Nyanza, Gisagara, Nyamagabe, Rubavu, Musanze, Nyagatare, and Burera. ALSO READ: WASAC Group mulls ways to reduce non-revenue water losses Citizens welcome initiative Claudette Mukanabana, a 43-year-old, farmer from Kamegeri Sector in Nyamagabe District, said that access to clean water would solve many of the problems she is currently facing. “For years, we walked over two hours to fetch water from a stream that would often dry up during the dry season. I have lost count of how many times my children fell sick because the water was not clean,” she said. “Hearing that they are fixing our pipeline gives me so much hope because we had waited for too long to access clean water, and it could also save me so much time.” Marie Claire Nyinawayezu, a 30-years-old, Community Health Worker in Kamabuye Sector in Bugesera District, said that lack of clean water often leads to poor hygiene. “Fixing the water system and everyone getting access to clean water would actually save lives, especially children who are most vulnerable to diseases like diarrhea,” she noted.
