EU, Germany agree on €44 million water project

Germany and the European Union have agreed to provide €44 million (US $51.37 million) to provide safe drinking water to "almost one million water users" in three Tanzanian towns. In a statement received by IRIN on Wednesday, the EU delegation of the European Commission in Tanzania said residents of Mwanza, Iringa and Mbeya would benefit from affordable water supply and wastewater management services. The deal was signed in Dar es Salaam on 6 June. Water supplies are now the responsibility of the Urban Water and Sewerage Authorities (UWSA) that, the EU said, had been unable to meet the demand for safe drinking water. "On average only two-thirds of the population are served by the UWSA, most of the time only for a few hours per day and with inadequately treated water," the EU stated. It said that the towns' water authorities would be responsible for the implementation of the water supply programme. The programme includes rehabilitation and upgrading of existing water systems; extension of production, treatment and distribution facilitities; as well as installation of water metres. In addition, the progamme will help improve the authorities' management and operational capacities by helping with wastage reduction, improved collection efficiency and the undertaking of customer awareness campaigns. The EU said it was also funding the rehabilitation and extension of the Mwanza sewerage system, "which will have a positive effect on the water qualify in Lake Victoria" and the health of the town's residents.