Nearly 95% of the drinking water consumed in Bujumbura still comes from infrastructure built more than four decades ago, despite being designed to meet the city’s needs only until 2005, Burundi’s national water and electricity utility said Wednesday.
The disclosure came from Regideso Director General Jean Albert Manigomba during a press conference in Bujumbura, where he acknowledged that water production has failed to keep pace with the rapid growth of the country’s economic capital.
“The infrastructure currently supplying nearly 95% of Bujumbura’s drinking water was put in place in 1985 and was designed to meet demand until 2005,” Manigomba said. “More than twenty years later, production capacity has barely increased, while demand has continued to rise with the city’s expansion.”
The remarks provide one of the clearest official explanations yet for the recurring water shortages that have affected households, businesses and public institutions across Bujumbura in recent years.
To address the gap, Regideso has launched what it describes as a major project to expand the city’s drinking water production capacity. The initiative forms part of Burundi’s Vision 2040 and Vision 2060 national development agenda and aims to provide enough water to meet Bujumbura’s needs through 2060.
Manigomba said preparations for the project’s implementation are already underway, with procurement processes nearing completion. He expressed confidence that residents would begin seeing improvements within two years, before the broader project is fully completed.
Among the immediate measures, Regideso plans to increase water production from Lake Tanganyika by installing new pumps and modernizing existing treatment facilities. The utility estimates the upgrades will boost water production by more than 25%.
The emergency works are expected to cost approximately $12 million, according to Regideso.
The announcement comes as Bujumbura continues to experience increasing pressure on public infrastructure from urban expansion. While the utility did not provide current production or demand figures, officials acknowledged that the city’s water system has remained largely unchanged despite decades of population growth.
Access to reliable drinking water is widely recognized as essential for public health and economic activity. The World Health Organization says safely managed drinking water reduces the risk of waterborne diseases and supports broader health and development goals.
Regideso is also implementing a separate project to improve drinking water supply in the municipalities of Rumonge and Nyanza by strengthening supplies from mountain sources and Lake Tanganyika. According to the utility, the first households in those areas could begin receiving water under the new system as early as November 2026.
Whether the latest investments will end Bujumbura’s long-standing water shortages will depend on how quickly the projects are completed and whether future capacity expansion keeps pace with the city’s continued growth. For many residents, the success of the initiative is likely to be measured less by construction milestones than by the reliability of water flowing from their taps.
