Yann in Rwanda (12) - Water Treatment Plant in Kigali

Perpétue Kamuyumbu (WFP-Rwanda in-country coordinator) managed to secure a visit of one of RWASCO’s water treatment plant in Kigali (Kimisagara) for Guy and me.  The plant, originally constructed in the early 1980s and expanded in 1987 by SAUR (a French water company), treats river water and turned out to be very well operated and maintained.  It is a typical surface water treatment plant with alum coagulation, tube settler sedimentation, rapid sand filtration, calcium hypochlorite disinfection, and serves several areas of Kigali (because the region is hilly, several pump stations are used to convey water to their destination points).

The advantage of a blank slate is that water infrastructure does not have to follow what occurred in the Western world (e.g., telecommunications in Rwanda essentially use cell phones, there was no need to go through the telegraph step); therefore I believe Rwanda can forge its way ahead learning from other countries’ mistakes in a forward-thinking, cost –effective, and realistic manner.  The focus should be on water availability (increased piped supply) first, then on improving water quality.  This means that a master plan should be coordinated with the local jurisdictions and RWASCO (Kigali’s drinking water utility) so this district can move forth from the situation below ...