The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Hoima Area is in the final stage completing the establishment of a-100 cubic metre-capacity reinforced concrete reservoir at Kijwenge Hill in Kihombooza Ward, Hoima City.
Mr Tom Mbaziira, the NWSC Hoima Area Manager said it is part of the initiative to meet the demand for clean and safe water in the rapid growing city, popularly called ‘the oil city’.
Whereas the Kijwenge Hill water project targets the residents of Kyesiiga, Karongo, Kiduuma, Budaka and parts of Kibingo Wards, a similar project is going on at Katuugo Hill in Mpaija Cell to serve Kasingo, Kihuukya and Kyentale Wards.
Mr Mbaziira also revealed to this news channel of an offing project to upgrade Kyarwabuyamba Water Treatment Plant to the capacity of seven million litres per day from the current 3.2 million litres.
It will be completed a year after commencement at the end of next month.
He was speaking to Kazi-njema Newsduring a special inquest into water supply in Hoima city as the world commemorated the World Water Day 2021 under the theme; ‘Valuing Water’.
According to the National Population census of 2014, results by Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), Hoima city had a population of 100,625 people growing at a rate of 10.7% compared to 3.7% by 2002.
It was second to Wakiso town with 11.9% in the country. The population boom has been associated with the discovery of commercially viable crude oil reserves beneath the Albertine Rift Valley.
The population is obviously expected to increase more when a $20b investment in the development of infrastructure to facilitate oil production is triggered by the Final Investment Decision (FID) making in Uganda’s oil industry.
Apart from relying on borehole drilling for ground water, the NWSC is looking at pumping water from River Kafu for sufficient and sustainable water supply to Hoima city.
This has been revealed by Eng Nelson Nsabimaana of NSWC Hoima Area describing it as a long term project separate from the ongoing ones.
