NWSC, SICPA to build 30 public water points in eastern Uganda
Apart from the 30 water sources, NWSC is also planning to build a water treatment plant in Bugiri to serve four municipalities. Photo / Courtesy
What you need to know:
- The 30 public water service points will be built in the eastern districts of Bugiri, Busia, and Tororo
National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) plans to build a water treatment plant in Bugiri District to meet rising water needs in four municipalities in eastern Uganda.
Speaking at the commissioning of a new water pipe system supported by SICPA at Ndifakulya Primary School in Bugiri District, Ms Mable Abaho, the NWSC area manager, said the new plant will increase water coverage from 40 percent to 80 percent.
The plant, expected to be built at Waka Waka landing site, Bugiri District, will serve at least four municipalities along the line, including Mayuge, and Nankoma, and “stream to deep villages where we have no supply”.
“This is a long-term project, it is in its initial stage. We are currently undertaking water testing, and a lot is still happening in the background,” she said, without giving more specifics.
Mr Samuel Apedel, the NSWC public relations manager, yesterday said, that whereas the water treatment plant was a long-term project, they were working on several projects, including underground piping of about 12 kilometres to improve water supply in the area.
The newly launched water pipe system is part of the large plan through which SICPA and NWSC will set up 30 public service points in the eastern districts of Bugiri, Busia, and Tororo.
Ms Suzan Kitariko, the SICPA general manager, said the initiative was borne out of the desire to create a ripple effect of positive change that extends beyond water access, to the improvement of infrastructure in the targeted areas and laying the groundwork for a healthier and more prosperous Uganda.
“By joining NWSC, and the communities we serve, we are not only addressing a critical need but laying the groundwork for a healthier, more prosperous future for thousands of Ugandans,” she said.
A report by Tuwezo, shows at least three out of four Ugandans (75 percent) access water from an improved source. However, only 19 percent have access to piped water, of which access is highest (42 percent) among urban households compared to 11 percent for rural folks.
Therefore, Ms Kitariko said there was need for companies such as SICPA to see to it that they ensure that communities, among which they work, have access to basic amenities such as water.
Ms Francis Emusungutu, the Kapyang sub-county chairman, challenged corporate organisations to get involved in, especially projects that are geared towards the general well-being of communities in which they work, noting that almost half of the 322,000 people in Kapyang sub-county trek long distances to access water from three scattered boreholes.
Access to water in Bugiri District remains a challenge. During the 2023/24 financial year, government provided funds to drill just 19 boreholes out of the required 197, according to the Bugiri District speaker Moses Kaziba, who also indicated that of the 157 government-aided primary schools in the district, only four have boreholes to provide clean water to the learners.
