The Ministry of Infrastructure outlined projects intended to raise Rwanda’s water production and extend reliable supplies to more households, with improved drinking-water access standing at 89.7 per cent.
Minister of State for Infrastructure Armand Zingiro presented the government’s response before the Chamber of Deputies during a session examining procurement, project management, water distribution and losses within WASAC Group.
MPs pressed the ministry on communities that remained without clean water and areas where supplies became unreliable during the dry season. They also questioned whether weaknesses in project studies and implementation were delaying improvements for residents.
The response centred on increased production at major treatment plants and wider distribution networks. At Nzove, the ongoing expansion is expected to raise daily capacity from 40,000 to 65,000 cubic metres, providing an additional 25,000 cubic metres of water.
Karenge is undergoing a larger transformation. WASAC is constructing a new treatment facility while rehabilitating the existing plant, increasing its combined capacity from 12,000 to 48,000 cubic metres per day.
The project, which had reached 60.9 per cent completion by the end of August, includes a new intake on Lake Mugesera, transmission pipelines, a pumping station and a 5,000-cubic-metre reservoir. It is expected to improve supply in Rwamagana, Kigali and neighbouring areas.
Kanzenze already produces up to 40,000 cubic metres daily, with 30,000 allocated to Kigali and 10,000 to Bugesera District. Further work on the plant and its distribution infrastructure is intended to strengthen services in the two rapidly growing areas.
The government is also counting on the Nyabarongo II multipurpose project to increase water storage. Although primarily a 43.5-megawatt hydropower development, it forms part of the national programme to improve water availability for different uses.
Increasing production alone will not resolve the supply problem. Zingiro told MPs that better project management, stronger technical capacity and closer oversight of procurement and construction would be required to ensure the additional water reached consumers.
The ministry also plans to act on findings by the Office of the Auditor General, rehabilitate ageing treatment facilities and replace or extend old distribution networks.
Water losses remain one of the sector’s largest pressures. WASAC estimates that 37.8 per cent of treated water generates no revenue because of physical leakages, inaccurate metering and other operational problems. The losses reduce the amount available to consumers while increasing production costs and weakening the utility’s finances.
The Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey found that 89.7 per cent of Rwandan households used improved drinking-water sources in 202
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