Non-conventional sanitation solutions recommended for Mwanza

Inadequate Sanitation and Water Pollution in Mwanza

On behalf of UNHABITAT, BORDA-Tanzania recently developed a number of recommendations for non-conventional sanitation technologies for the informal settlements, schools and public places of Mwanza. Mwanza is Tanzania’s second largest city, and two-thirds of its urban population live in informal settlements, where there is an inadequate provision of basic services such as water supply, sanitation, and access roads. These settlements are located far from conventional sewerage systems, and the sanitation conditions are conceivably deplorable. A large portion of the wastewater flows directly into Lake Victoria, leading to the pollution of the lake.

From Recommendations to Pilot Projects

As part of this project, BORDA recommended a series of suitable solutions which are now under consideration for piloting in the project areas identified by BORDA experts. During the 3-month study in 2016, a group of 17 important stakeholders from Mwanza came to Dar es Salaam to attend a three-day workshop where they were trained on decentralised wastewater management solutions, and visited BORDA demonstration projects in Dar es Salaam. The response and commitment from these stakeholders (including two Municipal directors from both of the Mwanza municipalities) to adopt decentralised sanitation solutions in Mwanza were remarkably positive, and we hope to channel this support into implementing pilot projects in 2017.