Access to safe water up in Uganda

Without access to clean and safe water, it is almost impossible to have a good life, Dr Fred Muhumuza, a lecturer at Makerere University says.

"The brain and heart are 73% water, the lungs are about 83% water, the skin is 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, while even the bones are 31%. We must have investments that enable people access quality water," Muhumuza adds.

Since independence, the country has been striving to ensure Ugandans access safe water. Currently, the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic and without access to safe water, this complicates the task ahead. "Now more than ever, access to safe water is critical to the health of families in Uganda.

People need water to wash their hands to stop the spread of the coronavirus," Elsie Attafuah, the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative for Uganda says. Today, Uganda's rural water coverage is estimated at 69%, while the urban water coverage stands at 79.1%.

That means an average of 74.05% Ugandans have access to safe drinking water.

The Ministry of Water and Environment seeks to increase access to clean and safe water from 69% to 79% in rural areas and from 77% to 100% in urban areas by 2021. Water and environment minister, Sam Cheptoris said the Government is working to increase piped water coverage in urban and rural areas.

"Efforts have been made to increase storage and invest in the construction of multipurpose water reservoirs to boost production and productivity," Cheptoris said.

The minister said 38,517 villages representing 66% out of the total 57,974 villages in the country have been served with clean water. So far, 35 districts have their water coverage above 80%.

The sector has constructed 132,341 domestic water points countrywide, comprising 41,112 (deep boreholes), 21,590 (shallow wells), 29,097 (protected spring), 20,306 (public stand posts/taps) and 20,236 (rainwater harvesting tanks) serving 27, 797,316 people.

Additional delivery of water to 23,910 wards within towns and municipal councils has been served by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) under the Service Coverage Acceleration Programme and the water ministry projects. The first piped water systems were completed during the colonial period in the 1930s.

The construction of new facilities increased from 1950 to 1965 under the framework of large national development programmes. In the late 1980s, donors began to invest substantial financial resources to rehabilitate and renew the water network in Kampala. Later, the existing systems were only partly maintained and no new facilities were constructed until 1990.

By 1990 the urban water infrastructure served less than 10% of the population in large towns.

Established in 1972 under President Idi Amin's Decree NO.34, NWSC is a public utility company 100% owned by the Government. At its inception in 1972, the corporation operated in the major towns of Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe, but now brags of coverage in over 256 towns.

Currently, its service coverage stands at 78.6% with a target of reaching the milestone of 100%. NWSC was reorganised under the NWSC Act 1995, giving it operational autonomy and the mandate to operate and provide water and sewerage in areas entrusted to it on a commercial and viable basis.

Domestic legislation in Uganda has been implemented to more adequately define and implement water and sanitation systems.

The main objective of the Water Act 1997 is the promotion of the provision of clean, safe and sufficient water supply of water for domestic purposes to all persons. The Local Government Act 1997 gave responsibilities over social services such as water to the local and central governments.

In 1999, the National Water Policy was introduced with two key directives. The first directive is to provide for integrated and sustainable, development, management and use of national water resources.

The second directive is the sustainable provision of clean safe water with easy reach and good hygienic sanitation practices and facilities, based on management responsibility and ownership by the users.

The second directive states that consumers and local governments should manage their own safe water systems. Elly Karuhanga, the chairperson of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, said Uganda is one of the leading countries with freshwater bodies that need to be exploited such as Lake Victoria.

"We should make water a strategic commodity so that when water wars break out, we will have sorted ourselves out and nobody would take it away from us," Karuhanga said.

ACHIEVEMENTS

In 2016, the Government pledged an annual target of drilling 5,000 boreholes in five years at a rate of 1,000 boreholes per year and fitted with hand-pumps based on their yield. To date, the sector has drilled 846 boreholes per year translating into 84.6% performance.

These boreholes have helped serve an extra 253,800 people across the country.

Out of 12 Gravity Flow Schemes (GFS) that were planned in 2016, all their designs have been completed and construction is underway in different towns. Water schemes completed include: Nyarwodho GFS-Phase II in Nebbi district, Bududa-Nabweya GFS Phase II in Bududa district, Bukwo GFS Phase II in Bukwo district Phase II and Rwebisengo Kanara GFS in Ntoroko district.

Ongoing construction include: Lirima-Phase II (Manafwa) at 93.8%, Bukedea (Sironko, Kween, Kapchorwa, Bulambuli) at 98% and Orom (Kitgum) at 44%.

Areas with completed design and feasibility studies are Bwambara-Bugangari (Rukungiri); Nyamugasani (Kasese); Ngoma- Wakyato (Nakaseke); Ogili (Agago); Potika (Lamwo).

The Government promised to rehabilitate and expand four gravity flow schemes.

The construction of three out of four water supply schemes is progressing at Nyabuhikye and Kikyenkye (Ibanda) at 64%, Shuuku and Masyoro (Sheema) at 93% and Lukalu-Kabasanda (Butambala) at 59%. Construction of Bitysa water supply scheme in Buhweju district has commenced.