Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene December 2018 Vol.13 No.6 | Page 8

NEWS in brief
“We are extremely proud to be here, witnessing this
important milestone and the realization of the prayers of
so many communities to have access to safe and clean water
for the first time,” he added.
Water systems in four towns -- Borama, Burao, Erigavo and
Tog Wajaale -- were rehabilitated or rebuilt with the funding
provided by the EU and technical support from UNICEF
and partners.
According to UNICEF, some 68 percent of the population
has access to a reliable water source in Somaliland.
However, the disparity between urban and rural areas is
significant, the UN agency said, noting that only 28 percent
of households can access an improved water source in rural
areas.
For many Somaliland communities, their struggle to get
clean water is compounded by poor infrastructure and
intensifies in periods of crisis such as the 2017 drought.
UNICEF Acting Representative Jesper Moller said access
to safe, affordable and sustainable water is a dream for so
many people in Somaliland.
“Today, that dream has finally been realized for many
children, women and their families in Somaliland. We are
grateful for the government’s strong leadership and the
EU’s generous funding in making this huge undertaking a
success,” said Moller.
He said the water project is a true testament to the
commitment and hard work of all partners involved, and
the courage, resourcefulness and resilience of the people of
Somaliland.
South Africa
Joburg Water Urges Residents to Use Water Sparingly As
Temperatures Climb
Residents of Johannesburg and its surrounding areas have
been warned to use water sparingly this recently as the
temperatures soar in Gauteng.
Joburg Water spokesperson Isaac Dhludhlu said the warning
comes after the South
African Weather Service
advised residents recently
to prepare themselves for
scorching
temperatures
especially in Gauteng, parts
of the Eastern Cape, Free
State, North West and parts of the Garden Route.
Temperatures are expected to climb later to 35% over what
is normally expected in parts of Gauteng.
Around Africa
Use water wisely
“We have been notified to be extremely hot. We continue to
urge communities that we supply with water, to use it wisely.
Our province has challenges of water scarcity at times,”
Dhludhlu said.
Dhludhlu called on consumers to keep their bodies hydrated
by consuming water regularly and having a bottle of water
next to them.
To those walking, Dhludhlu advised them to carry umbrellas
to protect them from the sun.
Potential restrictions
“Our endeavour is to provide quality water to our consumers.
Where our systems can’t cope we will start with water
restrictions and quickly alert the affected communities.
Consumers should remember that we get our water supply
from Rand Water and once they notice a high usage they
alert us, and we restrict usages.”
Dhludhlu urged residents to have a bucket of 20 litres filled
with water in their homes, in case restrictions are applied.
He said the problematic areas in terms of high water usage
were Midrand, northern suburbs and parts in the south of
Johannesburg
Tanzania
High Compensation Costs to Delay Arusha Water Project
High compensation costs
may delay completion of a
massive water supply project
for Arusha city currently
under implementation.
The project is financed by the
African Development Bank
(AfDB) through a $ 233.9million (approximately Sh520
billion) soft loan.
“One of the challenges we are facing is the compensation
costs,” the director general of Arusha Urban Water Supply
Authority (Auwsa) Ruth Koya said yesterday.
The engineer was speaking during the laying of the
foundation stone for the massive project by President John
Pombe Magufuli on the outskirts of the city.
She did not say how much has been spent on compensation
to people whose structures had to be demolished, but
affirmed the costs have always been high in Arusha.
The other challenge, she said, is that large portions of land in
the implementation sites had not been surveyed, something
that must be done before hand.
The project is being implemented either in the densely
populated suburbs of Arusha or the rugged terrains of the
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • December 2018