Dar es Salaam losing water to leakages and theft

 Water authority says half of its supply is lost

Dar es salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA) says that half of the city's water supply is lost due to leakages and thefts.

The state body said that it is taking measures to reduce the current 53 per cent of water loss down to 34 per cent by 2015. DAWASA claimed that illicit water connections are compounding the problem and called on residents to report those tapping into the water supply illegally.

Although the daily demand for water in Dar es Salaam is estimated at 450,000 cubic metres the city only receives 300,000 cubic metres per day.

The authority is overseeing the construction of a major water plant at the Upper Ruvu in Mlandizi located about 60 km west of Dar es Salaam.

DAWASA says that on completion within 18 months, the plant will provide 196 million litres of water per day to the coast region compared to the current 82 million litres.

Meanwhile some Dar es Salaam residents have called for the end to the state monopoly on water, to make room for the private sector. Residents involved in the Kwembe water project at Mbezi Kibamba – about halfway between the city and Mlandizi – appealed to the Tanzanian government to change the 2009 law prohibiting private investors in the sector. Locals believe that this would help to increase the supply and prevent some residents from being forced to consume unsafe water.