Outsourcing water and sanitation services in Tanzania urban centers: an evaluation of the existing situation, a case of the lake zone water authorities

This water is essential for both consumption and for sanitation is not in double. Its management determines how people relate to their health, socio-cultural, economic development and their environment. Poor performance of urban water provision and public utilities in developing countries have led to calls for a reduction in the role of the private sector in what has traditionally been the domain of the public service. The challenges faced by water providers in the urban areas are are wide and varied. They include the rapid population growth due to rural-urban migration and the changing profile of these populations, with an increasing percentage being poor. Globally governments have responded by implementing various water provision models of operations, including fully ledge privatization, commercialization, concessions and management contracts. In Tanzania, the Government initiated interventions in 1986 by forming water and sewage Authorities that, stipulated the necessary measures to achieve commercialization. One city and four municipalities namely Dar es salaam, Mwanza, Arusha , Moshi and Tanga respectively, were identified as pilot towns for commercialization. To date, September 2005, there are 18 Urban Water Authorities in the country.The primary objective of this research was to identify whether the commercialization so undertaken in Tanzania has successful responded to the challenges. The other objective was to give recommendations on whether other water provision models might produce better results.