The projects engineered by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation through Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA) are part of an initiative towards increasing water supply coverage notably in areas with no water distribution networks. However, besides becoming beneficial to over 300,000 people, the projects face serious low electricity voltage. Operators of the projects say the initiative has improved the people’s welfare and reduced the rate of waterborne diseases especially cholera, in the designated areas. “Power interruption is affecting our day-to-day operations,” says Michael Kituma, a chairperson with Kipunguni B (1) Community Water Association (KCWA). The association with an operating investment capital of 31.6m/-, is running two deep boreholes pumping 140,000 litres per day. It has managed to connect 185 household members out of 190 members and extra 30 households who are not members. Under the community’s water scheme, the association is also offering the precious liquid to four elderly and two disabled people, as part of their social responsibility to the community. Some members of the community who have not been connected to the scheme get water from nearby kiosks that were constructed by the project. The same arrangement has been adopted by The Kipunguni B (2), Water Association. The Project Manager Michael Katepa told the ‘Daily News’ about 200 new applicants have been registered for water connection. “We have 122 registered members and we provide water to two primary schools.” “Despite a huge demand for water, we have managed to connect only few houses due to infrastructure problem. Yet access to power is not guaranteed,” he said. “We are considering procuring a back-up generator to stabilise water distribution.” Kituma was sure that the state run Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) was working on it. The power supplier is optimistic there will be stable power supply in the area soon following plans to install an additional transformer. The chairperson was optimistic, saying the more people are connected to the system the more reliable power is required. He said shortly after connecting two new customers under special arrangement with Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA). The water authority, celebrating environment week agreed with community water associations to sponsor four households in the area who had qualified to receive free water installation. Two single mothers from Kipunguni B (1) who had made some initial payments for the purpose but faced financial difficulties benefited from the arrangement. Salama Jumaa Omar and Ester Sando had not settled about 50,000/- to get water connection. Others who benefited were Kensley Lameck Ngonyani and Sofia Haji Mwalukuta, residents from Kipunguni B (2). In a jovial mood, Ngonyani said the support will reduce family challenges which resulted to unavailability of water within his house hold. He said for some months now his family had been subjected to accessing water from private suppliers. “We are not sure of their safety, yet there no meters to account for the water used. We, as the result pay water as per the suppliers’ evaluation.” “I hope the bills will be reasonable than those issued by the private water agents,” he noted. Figures gathered by this paper indicate that community water supply sells 1,000 litres of water between 1,800/- and 2,000/-. With private dealers, the same goes at between 3,000/- and 3,500/-. Most private agents have shallow wells while community water schemes have deep boreholes. The new members are optimistic that the water infrastructure is much protected and secured water. Dawasa’s Community Liaison Manager Nelly Msuya told ‘Daily News’ that the authority is supporting the water communities to help improve water supply in the city. She admits that the schemes have facilitated the socio economic wellbeing improvement of the beneficiary communities. However, she calls upon Tanesco to improve supply in the peri-urban areas to ensure that the water supply services through community schemes are sustainable. “The problem is even worse to schemes using submersible water pumps from unreliable manufacturers that collapse nearly every time wherever there is power interruption. We believe these schemes have been of immediate support to the citizen,” adds Makoya Charles, a Techinical Officer for Dawasa. “Anyway we are working on grand water projects which we believe will help reduce the shortage,” adds Msuya. “The community water projects have thus offered services as well as permanent and temporary employments across the region.” Dar es Salaam water authorities are making major investments in ground water exploration project at Kimbiji aquifer, one of Africa’s largest underground water resources expected to deliver at least 400 million litres of water per day. According to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the 92bn/- water project by Turkish Zetas Construction Company is poised to benefit a larger part of Ilala and Temeke District in Dar es Salaam. It will also supply more than 13 million litres to Mkuranga District.