TANGA: PHASE Three of the Water Services Improvement Project, the first water infrastructure investment in Tanzania to be financed through a Green Bond is pushing the Tanga Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (Tanga UWASA) closer to achieving 100 per cent water coverage and a reliable 24-hour supply.
The 53.12bn/- project, currently under implementation and scheduled for completion in March 2026, aims to expand water production capacity while enhancing climate resilience, particularly during periods of reduced water flow from the Zigi River, which originates in the Eastern Usambara Mountains.
Once completed, the project is expected to enable continuous water supply from its main source, the Mabayani Dam, for up to 11 months, marking a shift from emergency water management to long-term water security.
Unlike conventional infrastructure financing, the Green Bond model channels capital specifically into climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable investments, making the Tanga project a national pilot for modernising essential water services through innovative financing.
Speaking during a one-day special media tour recently, Tanga UWASA Director of Water Distribution, Engineer Salim Hamis Ngumbi, said the project launched in July last year has reached 45 per cent completion, with major infrastructure already taking shape.
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Upon completion, daily water production will rise from 42,000 cubic metres to 72,000 cubic metres, a scale-up that will significantly move the authority closer to achieving round-the-clock water availability.
“This investment brings us much closer to achieving a 24- hour water supply,” Eng Ngumbi said, adding that improved production and storage capacity will help cushion the system against power interruptions and seasonal shortages.
A key component of the project is the construction of a 35,000-cubic-metre water storage tank capable of sustaining supply for up to 15 hours during power outages.
Combined with the existing 10,000-cubic-metre tank, total storage capacity will rise to 45,000 cubic metres.
The facility will become the second-largest water storage tank in the country after the 37,000-cubic-metre tank operated by the Kahama, Shinyanga Water and Sanitation Authority (KASHWASA).