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Kigali 28th September, 2016 - The Minister of Infrastructure Honorable James MUSONI signed Water and Sanitation sector performance contract/IMIHIGO with the Board Chairperson-Water and Sanitation Corporation limited(WASAC Ltd), Mrs. Gisele Umuhumuza. The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Infrastructure Headquarters in Kacyiru in the bid to celebrate the 2015/16 sector achievements and lay strategy to implement 2016/17 sector projections.
According to Minister of Infrastructure, Honourable James Musoni, the Government of Rwanda has committed to ensuring increased and improved access to clean water in urban and rural areas, provide a good environment for doing business with more efficient planning, being realized by matching infrastructures available with production. Government is encouraging development partners in water sub-sector and, at the same time, attracting private investors to invest in this sector to meet EDPRS II targets of 100% Access to clean and affordable water by 2018.
Mrs. Gisele Umuhumuza, the Board Chairperson reaffirmed that, under the universal access to clean water targets,338,466 new households accessed clean water both in rural and urban areas. 708 km of piped water systems were constructed; with 555km completed in rural and 153 Km in Urban areas respectively. As per EICV 2014/15 water access countrywide is at 84.8%.
With respect to improving water supply services in the City of Kigali; 25,000m3/day from NZOVE 2 Water Treatment Plant was added to the network reducing water demand gap from 45,000m3/day to 20,000m3/day. To fully address the remaining gap, Nzove 2 Water Treatment Plant will be upgraded and optimized to its full capacity of 40,000 m3/day and other water treatment plant of 40,000m3/day is under construction. Hence achieving 100% coverage in the City of Kigali.
In 2016/17, efforts will be made in strengthening water supply networks in the City of Kigali and Secondary Cities; rural water supply systems will also be rehabilitated. Further efforts will be made in wastewater management in the City of Kigali by constructing Kigali Centralized Sewerage System and other waste management initiatives will be made in Secondary Cities.