Rwanda’s Water Sanitation Corporation (Wasac) has signed a five-year capacity building deal with German water supplier Hamburg Wasser to facilitate quality and efficient water supply in the country. 

The agreement, signed on Tuesday, in Kigali, provides for hands-on training, development of new projects while optimising existing plants.

James Sano, Wasac director general, said the partnership aims at working together to produce quality water and good services.

"The partnership will help improve our capacity, efficiency, as well as optimise the available resources,” he said.

Sano said, under the deal, German engineers and experts will also intervene in the production process and chemicals efficiency optimisation.

Our staff will gain knowledge and skills needed to improve our outreach services, Sano said.

Christoph Czekalla, the water production division director Hamburg Wasser, said the partnership will help connect Wasac to new projects and donors.

The agreement is part of ongoing efforts to improve water supply and quality in the country, according to officials. Currently, 75.2 per cent of Rwandans have access to clean water.

Wasac officials, however, cite the City of Kigali’s topography and rapid urbanisation that exceeds water demand among the major challenges to water supply.

But Sano said efforts are underway to increase access to safe water.

"We use a lot of energy to distribute water. But the major problem is that the demand is higher than the production capacity due to rapid urbanisation. People in high altitude areas face supply challenges. The solution is not only capacity building but also investing in production to increase cubic meters,” Sano said.

Government’s target is to have 100 per cent of citizens access safe water by 2017.

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