Why Dar water crisis persists despite significant investment

Despite repeated assurances and heavy financial investment, water scarcity continues to define daily life in large parts of Tanzania’s commercial capital.

According to the Ministry of Water, Dar es Salaam’s daily water demand stands at about 770 million litres, while the production capacity is 534 million litres per day. In practice that is approximately 66.7 percent of the demand, on average, for 16 hours per day.

More than 40 percent of the city has no access to the Dar es Salaam Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (Dawasa) pipeline network, forcing residents to depend on boreholes, vendors, or rationed supply.

According to Dawasa, only about 20 percent of residents, largely in parts of Kinondoni, Ilala and Ubungo, receive water for 20 to 24 hours a day. The majority rely on a rationed supply lasting between eight and 16 hours or none at all.

“The water demand for residents of Dar es Salaam averages 770,000 cubic metres, while the production capacity is 534,000 cubic metres per day, so you see there is a difference of around 200,000 in that,” Ministry of Water Permanent Secretary Mwajuma Waziri told The Citizen by telephone.

Data from the ministry shows Temeke District remains the most underserved, with only 10 percent pipeline coverage, largely due to the distance from Ruvu water sources and decades of unplanned settlement growth since the 1980s.

Residents are asking: Why does the crisis persist despite years of investment and planning?

Ms Waziri added that the government is currently implementing both short-term and long-term plans, including maintenance of Kimbiji Phase Two and rehabilitating 12 wells in Kigamboni and expansion of production at Lower and Upper Ruvu, among others.

“Some of the boreholes, 12 in total, are not operational right now and these boreholes produce between 10,000 and 40,000 cubic metres of water,” she added.

Long-term plans include the Rufiji River project, where the government is now seeking funding to extract and distribute water from there.

During a recent inspection tour of several areas, including Kimara, Bunju, Kawe, Mwananyamala and the University of Dar es Salaam, Water minister Jumaa Aweso acknowledged uneven access.

“We have seen areas where tanks are full and water is available, but there are still places where services have not reached. All areas will be reached,” he said.

Similar assurances have been made year after year.

On national television, the minister outlined familiar solutions, including completion of the Kidunda Dam, expansion of production at Lower Ruvu, drilling of boreholes, rollout of Phase Two of the Kimbiji project and implementation of a National Water Grid.

These strategies are not new. What remains unclear is why their impact on ordinary households has been so limited.

In March 2025, Dawasa announced that Sh1.19 trillion had been invested in water and sanitation projects over four years under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.

The authority reports Sh796.19 billion invested in clean water projects, Sh400.91 billion in sanitation, Sh344.67 billion worth of projects completed and Sh852.43 billion worth of projects ongoing.

Dawasa also reports gains such as increased production capacity, expanded pipeline networks, higher storage capacity and a rise in water access from 89 percent to 93 percent.

In the 2021/2022 fiscal year, President Samia Suluhu Hassan allocated Sh25 billion for the implementation of a project to drill 10 boreholes in the Kigamboni area, of which seven boreholes by then supplied 70 million litres of water per day.

Yet these improvements have not translated into consistent water access for a large share of the city’s population.

For residents in areas such as Sinza, Mbagala, Ubungo, Tegeta and Temeke, water rationing remains routine.

Speaking on national television on Friday, December 19, Dawasa Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mkama Bwire, said the authority is managing rationing schedules and educating residents on supply days to allow planning.

But rationing itself has become normalised, not temporary. Residents report water failing to reach homes even on scheduled days, while monthly bills remain unchanged.

The contradiction is stark, rationed water, unreliable delivery and standard billing, leaving citizens wondering if it is climate change or governance gaps.

“This really makes me so angry to the point that my chest hurts. What kind of lies are these…what is the real problem? The water does not come out at all, yet I have been given a bill that is exactly the same as the usual month, Sh35,000,” shared Leilah John, a Sinza E resident.

“Honestly! Do you know how it feels to carry water buckets in this heat? Some of us are already exhausted. I am tired, truly I am tired,” another added.

Government officials increasingly cite climate change, drought and environmental degradation in the Ruvu River catchment as key drivers of water shortages. These factors are real and documented.

However, climate change alone does not explain decades-long underinvestment in pipeline expansion, delayed completion of flagship projects, reliance on short-term borehole solutions or even lack of accountability when targets are missed.

According to the water minister, the Kidunda Dam, now presented as the permanent solution, is expected to start receiving water by April 2026, years after water rationing cycles became routine.

Valued at over Sh329 billion, the Kidunda Dam is expected to store 190 billion litres and stabilise supply to Upper and Lower Ruvu plants, which serve more than 80 per cent of Dawasa’s service area.

The dam is projected to support a population of 11.39 million people by 2032, when daily demand could exceed 1.028 billion litres.

But residents are asking why must the city wait decades for permanent solutions while temporary fixes fail year after year?

“There are times I feel like crying. I carry water while also carrying a small child on my back, my whole chest hurts and I’m just waiting for them to bring their bill,” noted Nasra Juma, a resident of Kimacha, Changanyikeni.

Beyond statistics and speeches lies public frustration. In many neighbourhoods, residents describe exhaustion… carrying water long distances, waking at night to fill containers and paying bills that do not reflect actual service delivery.