Fridoline Mtunguja, 56, has never more busier than he has been this month in his 19 years of delivering water over Dar-es-Salaam.
“I am working morning until night,” said Mtunguja. “I have not seen a problem like this for a long time and we don’t know how long it will continue.”
Authorities in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city with a population of over six million people, announced a water crisis in early November and began rationing throughout the city.
While the onset of the brief rains is traditionally connected with mid-October, the country has instead witnessed record high temperatures and scant rainfall — both of which are linked to climate change. Temperatures in Dar-es-Salaam reached 33.8 degrees Celsius (92.84 degrees Fahrenheit), up 2.2 degrees Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) from November’s normal.
As a result, the Ruvu River, the city’s principal source of water, has dropped to dangerously low levels, leaving Dar-es-Salaam with a water shortage of about 100 million litres (26.5 million gallons).
While the Dar-es-Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA) predicted the rationing would last a day, several portions of the city are still without a normal water supply one month later. The Law and Human Rights Centre has called on to government to take immediate action on this crisis.
Climate change, however, is only one factor contributing to the scarcity, according to researchers. Lower water levels have been exacerbated by commercial activity along the Ruvu River, both legal and illicit. The Wami/Ruvu Basin Authority has previously limited water-based economic activity in September.
“We are feeling a crisis because the water levels are not able to meet the demand,” Elibariki Mmasi, the acting director of the Wami/Ruvu Basin Water Board (WRBWB), told news agency. “We have recently given out fines and arrested many people for abstracting water without a permit.”
The president immediately ordered increased protection around the water sources. While this has improved levels, it is insufficient to close the gap.
“DAWASA has one of the highest rates of water loss,” said Herbert Kashililah, chair of the Tanzania Water and Sanitation Network. “Almost half of the water is lost through faulty equipment but also from illegal connections.”
The situation, which is caused by a mix of climate change, over-abstraction, and water loss, has had a devastating effect. According to experts, patients at the national hospital have been unable to undergo dialysis treatment.
“Dialysis requires a lot of water. One patient can use 120 litres in four hours,” said Dr Engina Makwabe, a medical specialist based in Dar-es-Salaam. “Over 100 patients had to be transferred. The water shortage made it difficult to maintain hygiene standards. Toilets couldn’t be flushed and handwashing could not be practised. It is possible the infection rate went up.”
City dwellers in Dar-es-Salaam are now reliant on a local network of boreholes and wells. Those who do not have access to a nearby source of water have no choice but to purchase water from private vendors. Prices have risen as a result of the high demand and inadequate supply. Water is being sold for more than twice its normal price by vendors.
Several of the country’s most opulent hotels are also feeling the pinch, with some alerting visitors that water may run out before midnight.
Concerns have also been raised concerning the safety of the water that is being marketed.
Upendo Chitinka, a Dar-es-Salaam resident who recently had 2,000 litres (528.5 gallons) of water delivered to her home in Mikocheni, suspects the water is contaminated.
“The water smelt and the colour was off,” said Chitinka. “There are rumours that some vendors are taking water from the ocean and mixing it to supply to houses.
Water shortages in the city, which is reliant on hydropower, have resulted in electricity rationing. The Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) announced that water levels in numerous dams have dropped, resulting in a 21% reduction in daily power generation. Representatives from the private sector have expressed their dissatisfaction with the power outages, claiming that they have increased manufacturing costs.
Many people believe the end is near. The city experienced its first rains of the season at the end of November, and the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) predicts that they will continue. Experts say the city needs a long-term solution to its water problems because of climate change, which is creating more regular heatwaves.
“For now, we have stopped all activities on the river except domestic use,” said Mmasi. “But in the long term, we will need to construct more boreholes and a dam so that we can meet future demands.”
