Clean water is still a ‘scarce resource’ in Rwanda. Some people get it once or twice a week, and there are residents in some areas which do not access it and resort to consuming untreated water from lakes and other water bodies.

The shortage of safe water is also the case in Kigali City where clean water demand is relatively high given the growing needs of a rising population and increased activities such as factories and sanitation.

As a result, clean water rationing has become prevalent.

At one of the public taps in Rusororo Sector of Gasabo District, around 3p.m, on Wednesday, August 12, people queued to fetch water.

Residents get water from this tap twice a week, and it has become a habit for two years, a tap operator who sought anonymity told The New Times. She added that sometimes water is supplied into the tap only in the afternoons.

"We used to get water every day, but we have been receiving it twice a week for about two years ago. We were told that the issue resulted from water shortage,” she said.

Madina Mukamusoni, a resident of Nyagahinga Cell of Rusororo Sector, Gasabo District said that they pay Rwf20 per jellycan at the public tap, but voiced concern over inadequate water supply.

"Lack of water is a challenge to hygiene practice such as to wash clothes and the body,” she said adding that when water is not available at that tap, residents pay Rwf200 per a jelly can (20 litres) to people who bring it to them as it is fetched from farther places.

Water systems, taps do not work

In June 2020, while responding to water infrastructure-related issues that were identified by lawmakers, the Minister for Infrastructure, Claver Gatete said that there are some non-functional rural water supply systems as well as public taps.

He indicated that of 1017 rural water supply systems in the country, 423 are fully functional representing about 41.6 per cent; 474 accounting for 46 per cent of them are partially functional, while 121 of them representing 11.9 per cent are non-functional.

He added that 9,959 public water taps are non-functional out of 16,435.

Nzove Water Treatment Plant in Nyarugenge District. Photo: Sam Ngendahimana.

"As most of them (public water taps) are found in districts, Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) districts work to include that in joint performance contracts (Imihigo) so that we look for ways to rehabilitate all of them,” he said.

In an interview with The New Times, WASAC chief executive, Aimé Muzola, said the company is still carrying out activities such as setting up new water networks or upgrading the existing ones with aim to ensure that all Rwandans have access to clean water by 2024.

"Because of water inadequacy, people’s daily water needs remain unfulfilled,” he said adding that such an issue can result in water speculation.

In 2024, he added, a person should not make a distance of more than 200 metres in search of water in the city, while a person from rural areas should not move more than 500-metre-distance to fetch water.

There is a need for 145,000 cubic meters (m3) of water to meet the daily water demand for the Kigali City dwellers, but only 105,000 m3 are available.

However, there is hope that the water supply problem will be eased thanks to the Kanzenze water treatment plant (in Bugesera District) that is expected to add 40,000 m3 to the City’s water volume.

Muzola said that their non-functional water systems, but a programme was developed to rehabilitate them based on available financial means.

He pointed out that in the last fiscal year, 44 non-functional water systems were planned for rehabilitation and they are about to be completed now.

This year, he added, 37 water systems are set to be rehabilitated in the current fiscal year.

"We are looking for ways to ensure that all the water systems get rehabilitated as we also build new other systems in a bid to achieve the targeted [100 per cent] water access in 2024,” Muzola said.

The Fifth Integrated Household Living Survey (EICV5)- 2016/2017 indicates that 87.4 per cent of Rwandans have access to clean water, a significant increase from 26.3 per cent in 1994.

Last year, the Ministry of Infrastructure announced an investment of $440 million over the next three years to set up water treatment plants and supply systems in urban and rural areas in line with achieving universal water access in Rwanda.