Abundance all round, starved at the tap: Dar’s water paradox

Dar es Salaam. On paper, Tanzania is far from water-stressed. The country boasts an estimated 126 billion cubic metres (BCM) of renewable water resources annually-105 BCM from surface runoff and 21 BCM from groundwater recharge, according to the National Atlas for Water Resources (2019 Version).

The document, a product of the ministry of Water, Tanzania is approximated to have water resources fit for human consumption amounting to an annual average of 126 BCM whereby 105 BCM is available as surface water and 21 BCM available as ground water.

This translates to an average per capita availability of 2,250 cubic metres per year, well above the internationally recognised water stress threshold of 1,700 cubic metres.

With total national demand across domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors standing at roughly 47 BCM, less than 38 percent of renewable availability, the fundamental question echoes across dry taps: water resources are there, but where is the water?

In Dar es Salaam, the gap between statistical abundance and daily reality has become a gruelling trial for urban households.

In wards like Tabata Kisukuru, Kimara and parts of Mbezi, public rationing schedules have proven ineffective, leaving residents struggling for basic sanitation and drinking water.

A resident of Tabata Kisukuru, Ilala district, Ms Hosiana Munuo, recounted going almost two months without a single drop of running water from her tap.

Like thousands of others, her household has been forced to incur exorbitant costs purchasing water from private bowser companies, a trade that residents frequently allege operates with tacit institutional tolerance while official supply lines remain dry.

This lived experience contrasts sharply with official rhetoric. In parliamentary speeches, the ministry of Water recently presented a Sh1.12 trillion budget for the 2026/2027 financial year.

The ministry promised widespread service expansion, the completion of a National Water Master Plan, and the roll-out of a National Water Grid. Official performance reports from the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (Dawasa) cite an overall clean water service availability of 93 percent in its operational area.

Yet, during dry spells, water levels in the Ruvu River—which supplies 87 percent of Dar es Salaam and Coast regions—plummet, causing Dawasa's daily production to drop from 534.6 million litres to just 270 million litres, creating an overwhelming daily deficit of 264.6 million litres.

As Kimara resident Mr Nelson Jumanne observes, policy announcements mean little without consistent delivery: "Citizens want water 24 hours a day".

“Why should water flow continuously in some neighbourhoods while adjacent wards count months in drought?” Mr Jumanne queries. Dawasa repeatedly points to inadequate distribution infrastructure as the primary bottleneck. However, this raises crucial governance questions: who is mandated to ensure infrastructure expands in tandem with rapid urban growth, and why has system maintenance lagged so far behind?

The Citizen can also report that a major part of the loss lies in Non-Revenue Water (NRW)- the physical leaks and unbilled losses that currently consume 36.6 percent of all urban water produced.

Government authorities have placed significant focus on long-term infrastructure megaprojects.

Prime Minister, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, recently directed that the construction of the Sh335.9 billion Kidunda Dam—designed with a 190 billion litre storage capacity- be fast-tracked alongside feasibility studies for extracting water from the Rufiji River.

Furthermore, under President Samia Suluhu Hassan's administration, the National Water Grid aims to inter-connect major lakes and rivers to supply water-scarce urban centres. That strategic investment can solve urban water crises is demonstrated by regional case studies.

In Mwanza, the €150 million Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (LVWATSAN) project successfully completed the Butimba Water Treatment Plant, adding 44,000 cubic metres of treated water per day to serve 450,000 residents. However, while mega-dams take years to construct, Dar es Salaam needs immediate, short-term relief. Water sector experts stress that short-term measures must focus on operational efficiency and equity.

A senior water infrastructure consultant, Dr Eliud Maseko, highlights network rehabilitation as the quickest win: "The most urgent priority must be aggressive leak detection and pipe repairs as well as investment in infrastructure.”

“Reducing urban Non-Revenue Water from 36.6 percent down towards national targets would instantly recover tens of millions of litres daily without waiting for new dams to fill," he believed.

Concurrently, an urban WASH specialist, Ms Sophia John, advocates for immediate governance and supply management reforms: "In the short term, Dawasa must enforce transparent, predictable rationing schedules.”

She added: “This would ensure that households are not left at the mercy of private vendors. Integrating auxiliary groundwater boreholes directly into local distribution networks and deploying smart meters can provide immediate, equitable relief."

Without swift, practical interventions to fix leaking networks and manage existing allocations fairly, the promise of mega-infrastructure will remain a distant hope for residents waiting at dry taps.