The government needs to increase water production, strengthen existing infrastructure and mobilise more private investment to address recurring shortages as population growth and urbanisation continue to drive demand, experts have said.
Households in Kigali continue to face water shortages linked to the dry season, with some families pooling money to buy water in bulk as prices rise.
Kigali currently needs an additional 65,000 cubic metres of water per day to bridge the gap between supply and demand, according to the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC).
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The shortage has been worsened by declining water levels in some sources, reducing production capacity and prompting WASAC to introduce rationing and rotation schedules.
National water production capacity currently stands at about 367,000 cubic metres per day, while demand is projected to reach 688,000 cubic metres per day.
Jean Baptiste Nsengiyumva, Head of Policy, Advocacy and Cooperation at WaterAid Rwanda, said infrastructure needs to expand in line with population growth and urbanisation.
"Take Bugesera hypothetically. If some infrastructure was built at a time when the population was much smaller than it is today, the number of people the existing pipes were designed to serve could eventually exceed their original capacity. In such a case, the production capacity originally designed to meet demand may no longer correspond to the situation today,” he said.
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Nsengiyumva also pointed to climate variability as an additional pressure, particularly when water levels in rivers decline.
He said increasing production capacity should remain a priority, but stressed that water losses within the distribution network must also be addressed.
"Even after water is produced, some of it is lost before it reaches consumers' taps. This is what we call non-revenue water,” he said.
"Pipes can burst or taps can leak along the way, and it can take time and resources to repair them. WASAC loses because the water has been produced but cannot be sold, while consumers also lose because they do not receive the water.”
Nsengiyumva also called for better maintenance of existing water infrastructure.
"You may find places where taps were installed, but the infrastructure has not been properly maintained or water has not flowed through those taps for a long time,” he said.
"If we look at all these challenges from their root causes and develop solutions that address them, I believe we can overcome the water crisis.”
Nsengiyumva said financing remains another challenge and called for greater private-sector involvement in the water sector.
"We want the private sector to become more involved in the water sector and turn it into a business opportunity. It should not be seen as a sector that only the government can invest in; there are also business opportunities,” he said.
Projects need implementation
Aimé Muzola, a water expert, said increasing production capacity and expanding infrastructure are essential as Rwanda's population grows and urbanises.
WASAC is using a national master plan to guide investments in areas where demand is expected to rise and new infrastructure will be required.
The corporation aims to achieve 100 per cent water supply coverage by 2029, while increasing treated water production capacity to more than 688,000 cubic metres per day.
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Major projects include the expansion of the Nzove III Water Treatment Plant, whose capacity is expected to increase from 40,000 cubic metres to 65,000 cubic metres per day by September 2026.
Preparations are also underway for Nzove IV, which will add 150,000 cubic metres of treated water per day when completed in December 2029.
The Karenge Water Treatment Plant is also being rehabilitated, with its capacity expected to rise from 12,000 cubic metres to 48,000 cubic metres per day by January 2029.
"The government has plans, and there are many projects in the pipeline. The key issue now is ensuring that these projects are implemented. Once they are implemented, they will increase water production and help address the shortage,” Muzola said.
However, he cautioned that Rwanda has to balance investment in water with other competing development needs.
"There are other priorities, including schools, electricity and health facilities. All these sectors have to develop alongside each other, within the available resources, so that other sectors are not left behind,” he said.
WASAC's plans also include reducing non-revenue water from 35 per cent to 25 per cent by 2029, alongside expanding production and upgrading distribution networks.