More than one million people in parts of Wakiso, Mpigi, Kampala and Entebbe are expected to benefit from improved access to safe and reliable water following the implementation of a major water and sanitation project valued at €145 million (about Shs 600 billion).
The Wakiso West Water and Sanitation Project, being implemented by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) on behalf of the government, is expected to address water supply challenges in rapidly growing urban and peri-urban communities, including informal settlements.
According to Silver Mugisha, NWSC’s managing director, the project, funded by Impact Fund Denmark (IFDK), will involve building a new water treatment plant at Bwerenga, on the shores of Lake Victoria, with a daily treatment capacity of 62.5 million litres.
“The facility will be supported by a new raw water intake system, transmission and distribution pipelines, five service reservoirs with a combined storage capacity of more than 15,250 cubic metres and pumping stations in Buloba, Katende, Maya and Ssekiwunga,” he said.
According to NWSC, the project is expected to provide uninterrupted access to safe drinking water for more than one million people, including approximately 160,000 residents in informal settlements.
The targeted areas include Kiringente, Mpigi Town Council, Kajjansi Town Council, Kasanje, Kyengera Town Council and Wakiso Town Council, alongside their surrounding communities.
As part of efforts to ensure that low-income households are not left out, Mugisha said the project will also establish 941 community water dispensers in informal settlements. The facilities are intended to improve access to affordable and safe water among underserved communities.
The targeted settlements include Kimbejja, Katereke, Kisozi/Kitemu, Nsangi, Kasenge, Kikajjo, Bweya, Kitende, Namulanda, Nkungulutale, Kafumu, Kikonkoma, Lwanga, Bumoozi, Kakoola, Kavule, Maziba, Ssisa and Wamala.
Beyond improving water supply, the project will address sanitation challenges through the construction of a decentralised faecal sludge treatment plant at Kajjansi, with a capacity to process at least 400 cubic metres of waste daily.
“The implementation process gained momentum with NWSC signing a consultancy services contract with Danish firm NIRAS A/S, in a joint venture with Germany’s Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG,” he said.
The consortium will be supported by local sub-consultants M&E Associates Ltd and Alliance Consultants Ltd. The consultancy contract is valued at €9.48 million and Shs 2.15 billion, exclusive of applicable taxes.
The consultants will undertake the project’s detailed engineering designs, prepare technical specifications and bidding documents, and supervise the construction works.
The consultancy assignment will be implemented in two phases. The first, expected to take 20 months, will involve preparing detailed engineering designs and tender documents for the construction works.
The second phase will involve supervising construction, commissioning the completed facilities and overseeing the defects liability period. Construction is expected to take 30 months, followed by a 12-month defects liability period, bringing the second phase to 42 months.
The project comes amid increasing demand for water and sanitation services in Wakiso and neighbouring areas, where rapid population growth and urban expansion have placed pressure on existing infrastructure.