Eswatini Water Project Nears Completion After Years of Shortages

Community members say the benefits are already becoming visible as water pressure improves and supply hours increase through connections between the old and new distribution systems.

For many families across Eswatini's Manzini Region, daily life has revolved around finding enough water to meet basic needs. Communities have spent years walking long distances to rivers and seasonal springs, relying on water tankers, collecting rainwater, and sharing limited water sources with livestock.

That reality is now changing as the Manzini Region Water Supply and Sanitation Project reaches its final stages. Backed by financing from the African Development Bank Group, the project was launched by the Government of Eswatini in March 2024 and is now 92 percent complete. Once operational later this year, it will provide clean and reliable water services to around 35,000 people across the region.

Major infrastructure brings clean water closer to communities

The project includes a modern water treatment plant capable of producing 25 million litres of water each day. It is supported by transmission pipelines, reservoirs with a combined storage capacity of 21 million litres, more than 350 kilometres of distribution pipelines, up to 14 water kiosks, and 20 public sanitation facilities.

The investment is part of Eswatini's wider goal of achieving universal access to water and sanitation by 2030. While more than 80 percent of the country's population has access to at least basic drinking water services, only 38.2 percent currently have access to safely managed drinking water. Access to safely managed sanitation also remains below national targets, making projects like this essential for improving public health and living conditions. Community members say the benefits are already becoming visible as water pressure improves and supply hours increase through connections between the old and new distribution systems.

Communities look forward to healthier and easier lives

During an African Development Bank supervision mission in May 2026, residents shared how difficult it has been to live with unreliable water supplies. Many spoke about paying high prices for water delivered by tankers, which sometimes arrive only once a week, while others described spending hours collecting water from distant rivers, often placing a heavy burden on elderly family members.

Residents believe the completed project will improve health, reduce household water costs, support small-scale gardening, and make everyday life much easier. They also welcomed the introduction of prepaid water meters, saying they will help families manage their water use more effectively. Community leaders praised the installation of water kiosks and sanitation facilities, which were planned in consultation with local residents.

For families across the Manzini Region, the project represents far more than new infrastructure. It offers the promise of reliable access to clean water, improved dignity, better health, and a stronger foundation for future generations.