Waterforce TZ: Dreaming to make Tanzania a water treatment innovation leader through local solutions

Dar es Salaam. Wastewater man­agement is essential to curbing pro­found impacts of the climate crisis, however, in Tanzania, the industry is hampered by weak institutional capacity, inadequate coordination and collaboration.

In this regard, Waterforce Tanza­nia, which is a comprehensive water treatment solutions provider is here to hold your hands as the partner to trust for your challenges.

With Waterforce, companies are guaranteed not only with the best practices, but also with improved institutional or community-based capacities which provide them with autonomy over their water treatment projects for sustainability purposes.

In an exclusive interview with The Citizen newspaper, Waterforce Tan­zania Managing Director Shivanand Poojari expounded on wastewater, overall water treatment industry and the company’s performance pri­or to celebrating World Water Day. Excerpts…

Qn: For the best interest of those who don’t know, how do you treat wastewater? What happens if wastewater is not well treated?

MD: The main sources of raw water are rain, rivers, lakes, borewells, and the sea. Water is extracted from these sources and used for domestic and industrial purposes.

After consumption or say produc­tion, wastewater is generated, which must be treated and returned to its source to maintain ecological balance and natural harmony.

Wastewater treatment involves several stages to remove contami­nants before it is safely released back into the environment or reused. The process typically includes:

• Primary Treatment – Remov­ing large solids and sediments.

• Secondary Treatment – Using biological processes to break down organic matter.

• Tertiary Treatment – Advanced filtration and chem­ical treatment to remove remaining pollutants.

If wastewater is not treated prop­erly, it can contaminate natural water bodies, harm aquatic life, spread waterborne diseases, and degrade soil quality, ultimately impacting public health and the environment.

Qn: With often water-intensive production expanding, the treat­ment of increasing amounts of wastewater poses a major chal­lenge. How hard is it to treat wastewater in such state?

MD: The challenge with industri­al wastewater treatment lies in the complexity of contaminants, includ­ing heavy metals, chemicals, and high organic loads.

The treatment process requires customized solutions depending on the industry—whether food process­ing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, min­ing, sugar industries, breweries, etc.

Advanced technology, skilled man­power, and financial investment are necessary to handle such volumes efficiently.

Unfortunately, in Tanzania, the sector still struggles with a lack of technical expertise, awareness, and proper policies to regulate industrial wastewater treatment effectively.

Qn: Poor households bear the brunt of waste-related problems and have little or no access to these overpriced solutions. How do you ensure these communities are reached by your services?

MD: Our approach is to create affordable and sustainable solutions tailored for low-income communi­ties. We achieve this by:

• Training local communities to build and manage decentralized wastewater treatment solutions. Instead of opening multiple branch­es, we focus on empowering individu­als to start businesses in their respec­tive locations.

• Developing cost-effective, low-maintenance technologies that are practical for rural are­as.

• Collaborating with local gov­ernments and NGOs to imple­ment small-scale wastewater treatment systems in under­served areas.

• Encouraging public-private partnerships to make clean water more accessible to all.

We believe that education is key, and we continue to run awareness campaigns to help people under­stand the importance of wastewater management in safeguarding public health.

Qn: What kind of wastewater treatment services do you offer that align with Tanzania’s needs?

MD: We offer:

• Industrial Wastewater Treat­ment – Custom solutions for factories and manufacturing plants.

• Municipal Wastewater Treat­ment – Large-scale treatment plants for urban and rural com­munities.

• Decentralized Treatment Sys­tems – Small-scale solutions for households and small business­es.

• Water Recycling & Reuse Tech­nologies – Helping industries and communities reduce water wastage.

• Training & Capacity Building – Empowering local profession­als to manage water treatment systems efficiently.

Our focus is on customized, sus­tainable, and cost-effective solutions to suit Tanzania’s specific needs.

Qn: How many wastewater treatment projects have been done under your name?

MD: Over the years, we have suc­cessfully completed numerous pro­jects across different sectors, includ­ing:

• Industrial wastewater treat­ment plants for various indus­tries.

• Municipal water treatment projects in urban and rural are­as.

• Customized wastewater man­agement solutions for busi­nesses and residential commu­nities.

• Collaborations with local authorities to improve waste­water infrastructure.

Some notable projects include:

• Motison Holding Group – Designed and installed a 1200 KLD wastewater treatment plant to process waste from fruit pulping and return treated water to utilities.

• Sea Cliff Resort and Spa, Zanzi­bar – Implemented an MBBR process system (10,000 LPH) for wastewater generated by the hospitality industry.

• Zanzibar Sugar Factory – Suc­cessfully designed and installed a 250 KLD effluent treatment plant- USABR Process for the entire factory.

We continue to expand our impact, ensuring more communities gain access to clean water and efficient wastewater management solutions.

Qn: What setbacks hamper you from achieving your goals?

MD: The biggest challenges we face include:

• Regulatory Hurdles – The revenue authority and other regulatory bodies often lack an in-depth understanding of our industry, which could oth­erwise support national devel­opment and help our business grow.

• Lack of Skilled Manpower – The water treatment sector in Tan­zania lacks trained profession­als. This issue is exacerbated by the dominance of non-water treatment professionals in the business, who do not transfer knowledge to locals.

• Limited Financial Support – Banks hesitate to support water treatment projects due to a lack of understanding of the busi­ness model.

• Dominance of Trading Mod­els – Many businesses focus on importing ready-made systems instead of investing in local skill development and technological innovation.

Despite these setbacks, we con­tinue to push forward by training people, educating policymakers, and advocating for better industry sup­port.

Qn: Any plans for the future?

MD: Yes, we have several ambi­tious plans:

• Expanding our training pro­grams to build a strong local workforce in water treatment technology.

• Introducing advanced waste­water treatment solutions tai­lored to Tanzania’s needs.

• Collaborating with the govern­ment and financial institutions to develop policies that sup­port the local water treatment industry.

• Increasing public awareness on wastewater treatment and its impact on health and the envi­ronment.

• Encouraging sustainable water use through recycling and reuse initiatives.

Our long-term vision is to see Tanzania become a leader in water treatment innovation, with locally developed solutions that benefit both industries and communities.