By Mulengera Reporters
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is accelerating major water infrastructure projects, including pipeline upgrades, new reservoirs and booster stations, in a six-month drive to ease persistent water supply interruptions across Kampala and neighboring areas.
The projects, being implemented under the corporation’s Six-Months Water Supply Reliability Transformation Plan running from November 2026 to April 2027, are intended to improve water distribution, increase network capacity and ensure more reliable supply to communities experiencing prolonged shortages.
Eng. Francis Kateeba, Chief Manager for Water Supply at Kampala Water, said the interventions are designed to address distribution bottlenecks despite the corporation having sufficient water production capacity from its two major sources, Katosi and Ggaba.
Speaking during a media engagement at the International Resource Centre (IREC) in Bugolobi on Thursday, Kateeba explained that the challenge largely lies in moving water efficiently from treatment plants through the distribution network to customers.
He said the corporation operates a network of reservoirs and balancing tanks that distribute water to different parts of the city, including Muyenga, Namasuba, Naguru and Rubaga.
The Muyenga reservoir, for instance, supplies Rubaga, Kampala’s Central Business District and some areas along Jinja Road, while other reservoirs and booster installations support distribution to different service zones.
However, increasing demand, urban expansion and pressure on existing infrastructure have created distribution challenges in some areas, prompting NWSC to undertake targeted network upgrades.
Seeta-Namanve pipeline upgrade reaches 80%
One of the immediate interventions is the Seeta-Namanve pipeline upgrade, which Kateeba said had reached approximately 80 per cent completion.
The project involves upgrading a 3.5-kilometre section of the transmission network between Seta and Namanve to ease pressure on an existing DN400 pipeline that has been serving multiple high-demand areas.
The existing pipeline supplies the industrial park, Coca-Cola, Kireka, Buto and parts of Seta, while also supporting water transmission towards Mutungo.
To address the congestion, NWSC is installing a new DN600 pipeline from Seta, which will connect to the DN500 transmission line, allowing the existing DN400 line to primarily serve the industrial park.
Kateeba said the intervention would increase water availability in the Mutungo service area and reduce the pressure on the Muyenga reservoir, which currently supplies significant volumes to Mutungo.
He noted that the pipeline laying works had been completed, with the corporation mobilising fittings and preparing for tapping and interconnection works ahead of testing.
The project was initially scheduled for completion before Christmas 2026.
Once operational, the upgrade is expected to improve water pressure in Bukasa, Kireka and Mbalwa, among other surrounding communities.
Package 2B to unlock water supply to Greater Kampala
Another major intervention is the ongoing Package 2B project, which is expected to significantly strengthen water distribution towards parts of Wakiso and the wider Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Kateeba said the project comprises two major transmission components: a low-level pipeline running from the treatment infrastructure through Bulindo and along the Kasangati Road corridor towards Kasangati Town, and a high-level pumping system designed to deliver water to elevated areas.
Under the high-level component, water will be pumped from Kungu to a new reservoir at Kanyanya, with a storage capacity of 10 million litres.
From Kanyanya, water will flow by gravity towards Nansana and Matugga reservoirs, improving supply to several communities.
According to Kateeba, the overall project had reached approximately 60 per cent completion, with NWSC targeting February 2027 for completion and commissioning of the Kanyanya transmission line.
Once completed, the project is expected to improve water availability in Nansana, Wakiso, Kasangati, Kabubbu, Matugga and surrounding communities.
The wider Package 2B project involves laying approximately 69 kilometres of transmission mains, constructing reservoirs at Kanyanya, Kabulengwa and Mutungo, and establishing booster stations at Kungu and Kabulengwa.
The infrastructure is expected to strengthen the corporation’s ability to move water from the Katosi treatment system to areas experiencing supply constraints.
Katosi’s 160 million litres await stronger distribution network
NWSC says the Katosi Water Treatment Plant has a production capacity of 160 million litres per day, but limitations in the existing distribution network have affected the full utilisation and delivery of this capacity to some communities.
The ongoing infrastructure investments are therefore intended to expand the transmission and distribution network, enabling more residents to benefit from the available water.
The corporation is also upgrading its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to strengthen real-time monitoring and management of water distribution across major installations.
This is expected to improve operational efficiency, enable faster identification of faults and support timely responses to interruptions.
The projects are expected to benefit residents in Kira, Kasangati, Namugongo, Buwaate, Bulindo, Mulawa, Gayaza, Matugga, Kawempe, Nansana, Wakiso and surrounding communities.
Kateeba said the various interventions were being implemented as part of a broader strategy to improve water distribution while the corporation continues with other major infrastructure investments.
For residents and businesses that have endured intermittent water supply, the critical milestone will be the completion of the planned works and whether the expanded network translates into improved pressure, longer supply hours and more reliable access to water.
With the six-month transformation programme now underway, NWSC is betting on targeted engineering interventions to bridge the gap between water production capacity and reliable delivery to customers. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
