Water consumers in Luwero Town Council in Luwero District, are currently facing a dire situation as they enter a full week with dry taps. The development has triggered a significant challenge for residents and businesses alike, as they struggle to find water for various purposes.
With the taps running dry, some individuals have resorted to purchasing water from vendors who draw it from boreholes. However, this increased demand has also led to a surge in prices, with the cost of a 20-litre jerry can rising from Shillings 500 to 1,000.
When questioned about the persistent problem, Ronald Kisakye, the Manager of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Luwero Branch told URN in a text that the issue was related to inconsistent power supply. “Power has been on and off, please, failures keep checking.” This intermittent electricity supply has been unable to consistently power the water pumps, resulting in inadequate water distribution.
Late on a Sunday evening, Kisakye sent another message to URN, stating, “We have restored supply.” Efforts to address the power supply problem with Umeme, the power distribution company, had not yielded any results at the time of filing this report. This isn’t the first time Luwero Town Council has faced a water crisis.
In October 2021, a faulty motor and intermittent power supply exacerbated the water shortage. Kisaakye revealed that the problem began on October 5th, 2021, following a widespread power outage caused by heavy rainfall and strong winds.
These weather conditions led to the collapse of electricity poles and short circuits in the area, disrupting power supply to the water pumps and plunging the town into a water crisis. During that incident, Kisaakye explained that the high voltage at the water pump had caused the motor to burn, further aggravating the water supply issues for various villages, including Mabanda, Kikubajjinja, Bukuma, Bunyaka, Bunyenye, Kasiiso, Kakuuto, Kasana Market, Kiwogozi, and Mabaale.
Despite their efforts to restore the water supply, setbacks were encountered when they received a faulty motor, necessitating a return to the supplier.
