Up to 393 of the 1,029 rural water supply systems need urgent rehabilitation if government is too meet its envisioned target of having 100 per cent Rwandans accessing clean water by 2018.

This was disclosed by James Sano, the chief executive of Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), who said the most affected systems are in Northern Province, where at least 46 per cent of the systems are not functional.

In Western Province, 32 per cent of the water systems are not working. In Southern Province 33.8 per cent while in Eastern Province it stands at 29 per cent.

"It is frustrating to lack water when you had supply systems before. We can’t achieve 100 per cent access to clean water by 2018 if these supply systems are not fixed,” Sano said during a meeting at the Ministry of Infrastructure headquarters in Kigali.

The meeting, which was also attended by officials from the Ministry for Local Government, and that of Natural Resources, local, and central government agencies and international partners with interventions in the water sector, aimed at charting a new action plan to accelerate the rollout of clean water, especially in rural areas.

Sano said government and other partners had invested a lot of money in construction of the supply systems but most of them are no longer operational.

"Once supply systems were constructed, there was no maintenance plan in place and no operational sustainability. Going forward, every stakeholder must play their part to ensure such gaps are plugged,” Sano said.

He added that local governments have been given autonomy to manage water systems in conjunction with private operators.

However, officials said they need capacity building on the management of the water systems.

So far, 700 private operators have been trained and are currently grouped in associations as a step to ensure proper maintenance of water systems.

Damien Kayihura, a private operator in Kamonyi District, said there is financial constraint to replace some of the pipes which cannot support the flow of water and in some areas; it requires special skills and facilities like pumps which they lack.

According to available statistics, rural access to water is currently at 83 per cent while in urban areas it is at 90 per cent.

The main reason most systems break down is lack of maintenance after they are put in place.

An assessment by WASAC engineer Emmanuel Niwenshuti shows that the key challenges pertaining to functionality of rural water supply systems are low levels of professionalism of water services providers, lack of rural water tariffs and lack of effective management of royalties.

As remedies, the meeting agreed that Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority should expedite the process to come up with the tariff for rural water, while to ensure proper management of royalties, it was agreed that accounts be opened for water management at the district level.

Funding gap of Rwf12 billion

A recommendation on mobilisation of funds was presented for rehabilitating non-functional and abandoned water supply systems.

According to Niwenshuti, Rwf12 billion is needed for rehabilitation in two years if the envisioned 2018 target is set to be met.

There is need for Rwf3 billion to rehabilitate water supplies in Easter Province, Rwf3.7 billion in Southern Province, Rwf2.2 billion in Northern Province and Rwf3.4 billion in Western Province.

"The districts with high rehabilitation cost means there is no management of the supply systems. For example, Ngororero requires Rwf1.4 billion as it has no private operators; Gicumbi requires Rwf1.2 billion, Gatsibo is in need of Rwf1.2 billion and others like Ruhango district,” he said.

"We are developing a mechanism with WASAC on capacity development of systems. Ten Japanese experts have come to support districts and private operators to ensure functionality and sustainability of the systems,” he said.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw