By Bazio Doreen—Adjumani District.

The Adjumani Water Supply and Sanitation Project is expected to revolutionize access to safe water and improve water and sanitation coverage in Adjumani Town Council, its surrounding sub-counties, and selected nearby refugee settlements.

The Project targets domestic use beneficiaries from the 2 Town Councils of Pakele and Adjumani, the 2 sub-counties of Pachara and Dzaipi, and the 3 refugee settlements of Nyumanzi, Olua, and Pagirinya, as well as selected institutions.

Funded by the World Bank, the project, which currently stands at 50% completion, is spearheaded by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) and forms an essential part of the Integrated Water Management and Development Project (IWMDP). The project is being executed by China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC) at a cost of UGX 59.8 billion and is expected to end by September 2025.

The project encompasses the construction of a raw water intake of capacity 12,000 cubic meters per day on the River Nile; 8.8 km of Distribution Network with raw water transmission to the Mijale Water treatment plant; construction of a water treatment plant of capacity 4,000 cubic meters per day expandable to 8,000 cubic meters per day; 22 km of Distribution Network with transmission to the Mokolo master Balancing reservoir; drilling and developing 3 motorized boreholes in the refugee settlements of Nyumanzi, Olua, and Pagirinya; construction of a fecal sludge treatment plant of capacity 3.6 cubic meters per day in Amelo; and construction of 7 sanitation blocks across public places in Adjumani.

Izakare Richard Kareode, the District Water Officer, says that the project is going to increase the water coverage in Adjumani Town Council and other target locations from 95% to 100%. He also added that the water coverage and sanitation coverage across the district are likely to improve with the construction of the sanitation facilities, boreholes, and reservoirs in the target locations. 

“There is going to be a constant supply of water because the River Nile is surface water. We are currently depending on groundwater, which is affected by changes in the weather and makes pumping it difficult. This is also going to be good for those who have a tap but no tank. Even adding new members on the distribution network will now not affect supply to existing users,” Izakare explained. 

Indeed, Chandia Rose Mary, a resident of Adjumani Town Council, says that for a long time, there has been high demand for water, and yet the supply has been low, which is attributed to an increasing number of new users on the distribution network.

“Water supply in Adjumani Town has been inconsistent. There are moments where some parts even take days or weeks before they are connected back. This is because water sometimes becomes insufficient,” Chandia observed.

Izakare also observes that the project will improve sanitation and hygiene in homes as well as reduce transmission of waterborne diseases. According to records at the District Health Office, out of 50,373 households, 9,829 have no latrines, only 18,590 have improved latrines, 27,010 haven’t attained Open Defecation Free Status (ODF), and 4,665 still lack access to safe drinking water.

On his part, Jogo Titus, the Refugee Desk Officer—Office of the Prime Minister, Pakele, says that the rapid increase in the refugee population has placed immense pressure on the existing water infrastructure. He observed that the project will find a lasting solution and reduce reliance on unsafe water or distant water sources.

“The demand has outstripped supply. The systems we have put in place were not designed for such big numbers. Trekking long distances is not sustainable. Some people are forced to consume unsafe water because of the challenges in access to clean, safe water,” Jogo noted.

Meanwhile, according to Martin Orwiny, the NWSC Project Engineer, the boreholes are solar powered and high yielding, and also NWSC will provide security for the infrastructure they are putting in place to avoid any contamination or sabotage. Orwiny also says that the underground tunnels or pipes are safe and similar to those used in Europe.

“We are going to ensure that the pipes are safe and the water supply remains undisrupted. Imagine the insecurity that would be posed by exposing these pipes. NWSC will contract a private security company to guard all the facilities we are putting in place,” Orwiny revealed. 

As of May 30^th 2025, according to the Uganda Water Supply Atlas, Adjumani has 1,113 domestic water points. 46 of them have been non-functional for the last 5 years and are considered abandoned. Only 87% of water points in Adjumani Town Council are functional. Many of the water points are non-functional because of low yield, technical breakdown, poor water quality, nearby alternatives, and vandalism.

The raw water extraction point in Arra Village near River Nile