From Arusha to Mtwara, Tabora to Kigoma, Dodoma to Dar es Salaam, the projects are easing the burden of water collection, long carried by women and children
Dar es Salaam. When President Samia Suluhu Hassan pledged to “remove the water bucket from the woman’s head,” her words signalled a shift in Tanzania’s water policy.
That vision is now materialising, with the government investing heavily in water supply through more than 100 projects nationwide.
Among them are 25 strategic schemes worth Sh4.15 trillion, designed to permanently address water scarcity in both urban and rural communities, according to data from the Ministry of Water.
From Arusha to Mtwara, Tabora to Kigoma, Dodoma to Dar es Salaam, the projects are easing the burden of water collection, long carried by women and children.
The Arusha Water Supply Project, costing Sh520 billion, benefits about 850,000 residents by producing 200 million litres daily.
Completion will see urban water access rise to 91.6 percent, while rural coverage reaches 83 percent. The government aims for 95 percent urban and 85 percent rural access by 2030.
In Kilimanjaro and Tanga, the Same–Mwanga–Korogwe Project worth Sh406 billion serves 300,000 residents with 51.65 million litres daily.
The Kidunda Dam in Morogoro (Sh335 billion) will serve 6.77 million people by storing 190 billion litres and stabilising Ruvu River flows, reinforcing supply to Dar es Salaam and Coast Region.
The Tabora–Nzega–Igunga–Singida Project (Sh602 billion) will benefit 1.2 million people with 54.1 million litres daily.
Other schemes include the Bunda Project (Sh29.5 billion), supplying 15 million litres daily to 320,000 residents, and the Kintinku–Lusilile Project (Sh13 billion), supplying 6.5 million litres daily to 55,000 people in Singida.
Phase I of the Lake Victoria–Dodoma–Singida Project (Sh326 billion) targets 1.5 million residents with 200 million litres daily. In Mara, the Mgango–Kiabakari–Butiama Project (Sh70.9 billion) covers 13 villages, producing 2 million litres daily.
The Chalinze Phase III Project, funded by India at Sh96 billion, is 96 percent complete. “It serves over 200,000 residents in Chalinze, Handeni and parts of Morogoro, expanding daily output from 500,000 litres to 2 million litres,” reads the statement from the Ministry.
In southern Tanzania, Mtwara projects (Sh87 billion) will supply 40 million litres daily to 600,000 residents, while the Ruangwa–Nachingwea Project in Lindi (Sh119 billion) will serve 200,000 residents with 15 million litres daily, addressing saline water challenges.
Urban demand is also being prioritised. The Kigamboni Phase II Project (Sh65 billion) will serve 250,000 residents with 20 million litres daily through seven deep wells, a 15-million-litre storage tank and a 20-km distribution network.
The Butimba Project in Mwanza, valued at Sh71 billion, will supply 48 million litres daily to 450,000 residents by 2025, supported by AFD, the EIB and the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund.
Other urban schemes include Chamwino (Sh13.5 billion), Nanyumbu (Sh80 billion), Kigoma (Sh42 billion), Chato (Sh65 billion), Makambako (Sh42 billion) and Singida (Sh45 billion), with production ranging from 3 to 15 million litres daily.
Some projects incorporate climate-resilient designs. The Simiyu Resilience Project (Sh500 billion) will serve 495,000 residents plus 2.5 million dependents, producing 30 million litres daily.
In Morogoro, a Sh185 billion project upgrades Mindu Dam and builds a new treatment plant at Mafiga, boosting production to 89 million litres daily.
