The government has deployed a team that will implement a water rationing plan in order to ease the shortages that are affecting different parts of Kigali during the ongoing dry season. In an interview with the national broadcaster on Tuesday, July 29, the Minister of Infrastructure Jimmy Gasore attributed the shortage to the fact that Nyabarongo River is currently having less water, a problem which has reduced the capacity of key water treatment facilities. River Nyabarongo is the main source of water for Kanzenze Water Treatment Plant and Nzove Water Treatment Plant, which are the largest suppliers of water to Kigali. ALSO READ: WASAC plans major Nzove upgrade as Kigali water demand surges He noted that the government is working to implement temporary measures as it waits for the completion of bigger water projects that are being constructed currently. “What we have done is to put together a designated team to monitor our supply systems so that we can be able to ration the water, as we wait for the completion of long-term projects like the Karenge water treatment plant that will help increase the water supply in the City of Kigali,” Gasore said. With an expected daily water production capacity of 48,000 cubic metres, the Karenge Water Treatment Plant, located in Lake Mugesera, Rwamagana district, is set to quadruple its capacity after a $52m upgrade. The upgrade of the plant will add 36,000 cubic metres daily from 12,000 currently. Nzove II treatment plant is also one of the main facilities supplying clean water to Kigali’s population, which will be upgraded. ALSO READ: Inside the Rwf26.7 billion Japan-Rwanda water and sanitation projects Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) on June 26, Vital Nshimiyimana, the Sanitation Infrastructure Planning Manager at Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) said that the plant produces less than 10, 000 cubic metres per day, which is far below its intended capacity of over 25,000 cubic metres.
