Introduction
The country’s policy in this sector is to make available adequate and potable water for all within with 400 meters of any household. Life without water is impossible. Water is life. But water needs to be safe to sustain life without danger from morbidity as a result of water borne diseases. Biological contamination of water has made Mwanza region endemic to dysentery and cholera. Chemical pollution resulting from misuse of the environment also makes water unsafe for human consumption. Apart from water requirements for domestic purposes, industries, commercial premises and various social and economic institutions all need water, adequate in both quantity and quality.
The country’s policy in this sector is to make available adequate and potable water for all within with 400 meters of any household. Life without water is impossible. Water is life. But water needs to be safe to sustain life without danger from morbidity as a result of water borne diseases. Biological contamination of water has made Mwanza region endemic to dysentery and cholera. Chemical pollution resulting from misuse of the environment also makes water unsafe for human consumption. Apart from water requirements for domestic purposes, industries, commercial premises and various social and economic institutions all need water, adequate in both quantity and quality.
Water is also used extensively for sanitation purposes
in which case great care has to be taken to separate water for drinking
purposes from this sewage water to avoid contamination.
Despite the dominance of Lake Victoria which accounts
for 43% the region’s total area, water sources for water supply systems
are nearly always other than the lake. Such other sources depend an
rainfall for their recharge. Hence water availability tends to vary
with the seasons. The quantity is at its height during the rain season
and its lowest towards the end of the dry season. Sustainable supply
of water is therefore measured by the quantity available towards the
end of the dry season. The dry season also increases distances to water
supplies as some sources dry up. At this time competition with livestock
is also at its worst and pollution of water sources such as dams, chacos,
rivers and springs by livestock is at its most damaging. The protection
of water sources is therefore, one important preoccupation in the supply
of potable water.
Rural Water Supply
The demand for rural water supplies is primarily determined by the size of the human and livestock populations. Demands for water for such other activities such as construction are relatively minor.
To supply the needs of these populations, the region has a total of 3,027 water schemes. Of these 2,531 or 84% are shallow wells. Thirty one percent of the shallow wells are in Magu.
The demand for rural water supplies is primarily determined by the size of the human and livestock populations. Demands for water for such other activities such as construction are relatively minor.
To supply the needs of these populations, the region has a total of 3,027 water schemes. Of these 2,531 or 84% are shallow wells. Thirty one percent of the shallow wells are in Magu.
Urban water supply
Generally speaking the consumption per capita is higher in urban areas than it is in rural areas. Water use by industrial and commercial establishments tend to become significant while water for livestock use is much lower. Coverage of populations at district headquarters urban centers averaged 64% in 2001. Geita at 82% followed by Magu at 75%, Nansio and Sengerema at 70% show the best coverages. Misungwi at 50% is possibly the worst covered.
No comments:
Post a Comment