0
0
By Annonciata Byukusenge
Residents of Rugerero Sector say access to clean water has significantly improved their quality of life, helping them reduce illnesses caused by dirty water, such as intestinal worms and skin diseases, as they previously relied on water from Lake Kivu, which often made their children sick.
The water now comes from a treatment plant located on the banks of the Sebeya and Pfunda rivers in Rugerero Sector. The plant was built by the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC Group) in Gihira village. It supplies water to four sectors: Rugerero, Rubavu, Nyamyumba, and Gisenyi. In other sectors, water is provided in partnership with private contractors.
Dieudonné Murindahabi, a resident of Ndugu village in Byahi Cell, Rubavu Sector, says they have had access to clean water for the past year and a half.
“We used to go one or two days without water. Some people would go fetch water from Lake Kivu, which led to waterborne diseases. But ever since WASAC Group brought us clean water and public taps, we no longer face those issues,” he said.
Emerance Nikuze, a mother living in Byahi Cell, explained how the initiative saved them from the long lines they used to form while fetching water.
“We had a serious problem with water scarcity. The little water available wasn’t enough for everyone. People would line up early in the morning and only get water in the evening. On top of that, Congolese citizens would also come to fetch water, which made the situation worse,” she said.
She added that with WASAC Group’s support, many households now have water connections, and those without access fetch it from nearby public taps. This has reduced overcrowding, children no longer miss school to fetch water, and waterborne illnesses have declined.
Marie Clarisse Munganyase, a staff member at Ndengera Polyclinic in Rubavu Sector, Rukoko Cell, said water shortages used to disrupt patient care.
“Before WASAC Group supplied us with water, we faced many challenges, especially during the dry season. We had to rent vehicles to bring us 60 jerrycans of water daily, each costing RWF 200. That was a big burden, especially for patients,” she said.
“We would bring patients water in jerrycans and place them in their rooms, but we often ran out. Now, with WASAC’s support, every room has running water, and we also have water tanks.”
The water shortage also affected schools, which had to spend funds that could have been used elsewhere.
Angelique Kankesha, a staff member at UTB University’s Rubavu campus in charge of student conduct, said the water shortage had been a major issue.
“We used to work with a contractor, but the water would often run out or not come at all. We resorted to using trucks or even hired people with bicycles to fetch water, which became very expensive,” she said.
Since September last year, WASAC has provided them with a steady water supply and six storage tanks. The university no longer spends the RWF 300,000 it used to pay monthly for water delivery.
“We used to fetch up to 200 jerrycans a day at RWF 200 each.”
Fraterne Twagirayezu, manager of the Gihira plant, said the plant’s capacity has been expanded from one to two treatment facilities.
“The plant now treats 23,000 cubic meters of water per day, sourced from the Sebeya and Pfunda rivers. The first plant, built in 1986 and later upgraded, produces 8,000 cubic meters daily. The new plant produces 15,000 cubic meters per day.”
Both plants supply the four sectors mentioned above. WASAC uses contractors to serve other sectors.
The water treatment process includes:
- Pre-treatment: Removing large debris like wood, stones, and mud from the river water.
- Chemical treatment: Adding measured amounts of chemicals based on lab results to separate dirt from water.
- Filtration: Using specialized filters (called “filter”) to remove any remaining particles, resulting in clear water.
- Disinfection: Adding chlorine to kill any remaining germs and make the water safe for use.
Méthode Rutagungira, from WASAC Group, said one of the main challenges faced by the Gihira plant is natural disasters. For instance, when the Sebeya River floods, the plant must temporarily shut down due to the dirty water, which affects the supply.
Another challenge is pollution from illegal mining activities upstream, which contaminates the river water and requires higher chemical usage during treatment.
Rutagungira encourages people to get household water connections, as it is cheaper than buying water from public taps.
“One cubic meter (1,000 liters) equals about 50 jerrycans. At the tap, each jerrycan costs RWF 20 from WASAC and RWF 25 from contractors. So, 1 cubic meter costs RWF 1,000 at the tap, but only RWF 384 (including tax) for piped water at home.”
He adds that people can take loans from financial institutions to install home connections and repay gradually. This would save both time and money, compared to repeatedly fetching water manually.
According to the 7th Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7) conducted by Rwanda’s National Institute of Statistics in 2024, 90% of households in Rwanda now have access to clean water, up from 87% in 2017.
