Major projects in the offing to address water shortages

As water shortages continue to affect communities in various parts of the country, the Water and Sanitation Corporation Group (WASAC Group) is rolling out a series of major projects aimed at ensuring reliable and equitable access to clean water nationwide, according to the utility. From expanding water treatment capacity to upgrading critical infrastructure and extending supply networks, these initiatives – at various levels of implementation – are expected to more than double the country’s daily water production and close the supply gap in urban and rural areas alike, within five years from 2025 to 2030. People who spoke to The New Times indicated how water shortage has been negatively affecting their living conditions, calling for government interventions to address the issue. “We have not received water [in our neighbourhood] since May. To get water, we walk for about two hours. Sometimes, people send someone with a bicycle to fetch water for them, but they have to pay Rwf400 for each jerry can,” said Hyacenthe Kaneza, a resident of Ntarama Sector in Bugesera District. Yvonne Uwimbabazi, a resident of Kicukiro District, Nyarunguga Sector, voiced her concerns and difficulties regarding the ongoing water shortage, referring to the recent two months she and other residents in her locality went without water. “This shortage has significantly impacted us. We often lack water for cooking and washing clothes,” she said. “Plus, if you need someone to fetch water for you, it costs Rwf3,000 for their service, on top of Rwf200 or Rwf300 to get the water from the source, she said. On July 16, WASAC Group issued a customer notice on efficient water use during the dry season, stating that due to the ongoing dry season, it has introduced an adjusted water rationing schedule “to better manage our limited water resources and address water scarcity more effectively.” In the same public notice, it stated that it reaffirms its commitment to improving water supply reliability in the affected areas while working toward ensuring universal access to water and sanitation services for all Rwandans. Robert Bimenyimana, WASAC Group Spokesperson, told The New Times that during the dry season, the availability of water sources decreases, “which affects our daily water production capacity and results in water shortages, particularly in elevated or mountainous areas.” To address this issue, WASAC Group implements a water rationing programme in all affected regions, he stated. Major projects to meet growing demand Over the next five years, Bimenyimana said that WASAC Group has set ambitious targets to accelerate progress towards universal access to clean drinking water and sanitation services. The utility’s key goals include expanding access to clean water to all 14,873 villages across the country, up from 80 per cent coverage in 2024, he said, indicating that today 2,900 villages do not have access to clean water. Others are increasing daily water production capacity from 329,652 cubic metres (m³) to 688,686 m³ – meaning more than doubling it within five years – extending the national water network by 4,637 kilometres (km) and rehabilitating 1,785 km of existing infrastructure, as well as reducing non-revenue water from 39.5 per cent to 25 per cent. ALSO READ: WASAC plans major Nzove upgrade as Kigali water demand surges Specifically for the City of Kigali water supply, data from WASAC shows that due to seasonal shortages, technical challenges, and water losses, the effective water supply to Kigali is estimated at around 90,000 m³ per day. However, the Water and Sanitation Master Plan estimates the city's water demand at approximately 210,000 m³ per day, leaving a deficit of 120,000 m³/day, the data indicated. To reduce this gap, Bimenyimana said that several key projects are planned. They include extending the water distribution network in critical areas, including Ndera-Gasogi, Busanza, Bumbogo, Rugalika, Jali-Jabana, Mageragere, and Kanyinya, and rehabilitating the Karenge Water Treatment Plant to increase its capacity to 36,000 m³/day, meaning tripling it from the current 12,000 m3 per day. The projects also feature upgrading the Nzove Water Treatment Plant, and constructing the new Masaka Water Treatment Plant with a capacity of 40,000 m³/day. Bimenyimana indicated that upgrading of Karenge started early this year and its completion is due in two years – 2027 – while the construction of Masaka Water Treatment Plant is projected to start in 2028. The upgrade of Karenge water treatment plant is the top priority as it urgently addresses the water shortage for the already existing customers in the affected areas, while the construction of Masaka water treatment plant is in response to the increasing number of customers, he pointed out. ALSO READ: Karenge water treatment plant set to quadruple capacity after $52m upgrade Located on the shores of Lake Mugesera in Rwamagana District, Eastern Province, Karenge is expected to further contribute to water supply in Rwamagana, including in Muyumbu; and in different parts of the City of Kigali, including Kanombe, Ndera and Rusororo, once upgraded. According to the EICV 7 survey published in 2024, 90 per cent of households in Rwanda have access to an improved drinking water source, up from 87 per cent in 2017. Of these, 68 per cent of households have access to basic drinking water services, meaning they can collect clean water in less than 30 minutes. Meanwhile, 21 per cent of households have limited drinking water services, requiring more than 30 minutes to access clean water, according to WASAC.

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Major projects in the offing to address water shortages