DAR ES SALAAM: Sanitation Status
Sanitation provision in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania’s largest city) is grossly deficient, as in most cities in sub-Saharan Africa: most people do not have access to a hygienic toilet; large amounts of faecal waste are discharged to the environment without adequate treatment; this is likely to have major impacts on infectious disease burden and quality of life (Hutton et al. 2007). This article briefly summarizes the current sanitation situation in Dar es Salaam.
This page is part of the fully editable open-access reference source on the sanitation status of all major cities in sub-Saharan Africa. The resource considers the 40 urban agglomerations in sub-Saharan Africa with a current population of 1 million or more. To read some of the other 40 country profiles, go back tothe resource Homepage.
N.B These pages should be considered as incomplete provisional drafts, and contributions are actively requested from specialists with expert local knowledge of each specific city
Table of Contents
- DAR ES SALAAM: Sanitation Status
- Background information
- Water resources and supply: overview
- Sanitation access
- Sewerage system
- Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
- Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
- Sanitation in low-income districts
- Responsibility
- Sanitation masterplan?
- Sanitation financing
- Major investments and donor interventions
- Sources and further reading
- References
- Other City Profiles
Background information
Dar es Salaam is an urban agglomeration with a population of about 3.1 million people (Brinkhoff 2010). It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa, after Bamako and Lagos (City Mayors 2010). It is a coastal city with some swampy areas; it is largely flat, but with steep slopes in some areas; it lies at the centre of the region (mkoa) of Dar es Salaam, within the administrative districts (wilayah) of Ilala, Kinondoni and Temeke (all of which also have extensive rural areas); see maps in Penrose et al. (2010). Climate is tropical wet and dry (Köppen classification Aw), with mean annual rainfall 1100 mm. Flooding is frequent and severe; many of the city’s numerous informal settlements are located in flood-prone areas (UN-Habitat 2004a, BPD 2006). Pollutant industries include food processing, textiles, tanneries, fertilizers and petroleum refining. There is significant agricultural activity within the metropolitan area (Sawio 2002, Allen et al. 2004). A very large proportion of the population (estimates range from 65 - 80%) lives in low-income informal settlements (BPD 2006, UN-Habitat 2008).
Water resources and supply: overview
Water comes mainly from the Ruvu River; production capacity as at 2003 was judged to be sufficient to supply a population of 3 million, though there are problems with transmission, storage capacity and treatment quality (World Bank 2003). The UN currently projects water stress for Tanzania in 2025 (UNEP/GRID-Arendal 2002). A 2001 household survey estimated that about 85% of the city’s population has some sort of access to piped water supply; however, the service is erratic, and most households buy water from neighbours, truck vendors or small vendors.
Sanitation access
Less than 10% of households have a sewerage connection, about 20% (mostly in upper- and middle-income groups) have septic tanks, while the remainder are dependent on pit latrines (World Bank 2003). In the low-income informal settlement of Tungi, Allen et al. (2004) found that 92% of households use latrines, mostly traditional unlined pits. Seasonal “flushing” of latrines (i.e. deliberate use of floodwater to flush the contents of latrines) is frequent in low-income districts (BPD 2006); the top of latrines is often raised about 1 m above the ground. Cholera outbreaks are frequent and cause significant mortalities (World Bank 2003, Penrose et al. 2010).
Sewerage system
The sewerage system comprises about 140 km of sewers connected to an ocean outfall or to one of nine decentralized wastewater stabilization ponds. As noted, only about 10% of households have a sewerage connection: as at 2003, DAWASA had about 22,000 sewerage customers (World Bank 2003). Most of this infrastructure was built in the 1980s, “and is at various stages of collapse” due to poor maintenance (World Bank 2003); none of the 15 pumping stations operate, so that raw sewage overflows into stormwater drains.
Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
World Bank (2003) has reported that pit emptying services are often inadequate, with most latrine users resorting to manual emptying; however, some septage is dumped to tipping stations connected to the stabilization ponds and the ocean outfall. BPD (2005) reports that an NGO called WASTE has attempted to establish a waste transfer station, where liquid waste could be stored before trucking to the wastewater treatment plant. Unfortunately, the local community and planning officials reportedly rejected the placement of the waste transfer station; however, this initiative is of great interest.
Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
Dar es Salaam is reported to have nine wastewater stabilisation ponds, serving the sewerage system and also reportedly treating some septage from onsite sanitation facilities (World Bank 2003). We do not have any information on the current function of these facilities.
Sanitation in low-income districts
As noted, most of Dar es Salaam’s population occupies low-income informal settlements without basic urban services. We are not aware of any map indicating the location of the poorest settlements, or of any specific policy for sanitation improvement in informal settlements. Allen et al. (2004) and BPD (2005) are useful case studies of sanitation issues in low-income settlements.
Responsibility
Institutional capacity is weak, and there is no single body with clearly defined overall responsibility for sewerage and onsite sanitation. According to World Bank (2003), the Government of Tanzania’s unwritten policy is for self-provision of urban sanitation, “justified by the limited capacity of public infrastructure and responsible agencies”; “on-site sanitation is still based on self provision with regulation by the health departments of the municipal councils”. Sewerage operations, mostly poorly functional, were previously under the control of the municipal councils, but are now the responsibility of DAWASA (Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority).
Sanitation masterplan?
No. A general master plan (not specific to water and sanitation) was produced in 1979, but has not been reviewed or updated since. A tender for consultancy services to prepare a a new Draft Strategic Urban Development Plan for Dar es Salaam, with World Bank funding, was released on 19 February 2009 (dgMarket 2009a). UN-Habitat (2004) documents the process of development of the “Sustainable Dar es Salaam Project” plan, produced over the period 1992-2003.
Sanitation financing
As at 2003, sewerage customers paid a sewerage tariff of 30% on their water bill, though as at 2003 only about 50% of water customers paid their water bill regularly (World Bank 2003).
Major investments and donor interventions
Dar es Salaam Water and Sanitation Project, major multicomponent project commenced in 2003 and ongoing, funding from World Bank and AfDB; see AfDB (2001) and World Bank (2003). According to the World Bank (2003), this project was due to include a) rehabilitation of the sewerage system (rehabilitation of 140 km of existing sewers, 31000 manholes, 15 pumping stations, 9 wastewater stabilization ponds, ocean outfall, construction of 26 km of additional sewers) and b) some unspecified support for on-site sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion. We do not have any information on project outcomes.
Sources and further reading
None at present.
References
AfDB [African Development Bank] (2001) “Appraisal Report: Dar es Salaam Water Supply and Sanitation Project”. http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Project-and-Operations/TZ-2001-129-EN-ADF-BD-WP-COMPLETE-TANZANIA-DAR-ES-SALAM.PDF ; see also http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-tz-e00-003/
BPD (2006) Sanitation partnerships: Dar es Salaam case study. Building Partnerships for Development.
Brinkhoff T (2010) City Population. http://www.citypopulation.de
City Mayors (2010) The world’s fastest growing cities and urban areas from 2006 to 2020. http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/urban_growth1.html
dgMarket (2009a) “Review of Dar-es-Salaam Master Plan 1979 – Dar-es-Salaam Draft Strategic Urban Development Plan: Request For Expressions of Interest”. http://www.dgmarket.com/tenders/np-notice.do~3617849
Allen A, Dávila J & Hoffmann P (2004) WSS Practices and living conditions in the peri-urban interface of metropolitan Dar es Salaam: the cases of Tungi and Stakishari. Development Planning Unit, London. Not currently available online.
Hutton G, Haller L & Bartram J (2007) Economic and health effects of increasing coverage of low cost household drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to countries off-track to meet MDG target 10. Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization. http://www.irc.nl/page/38443
Lussuga Kironde JM (1999). ‘Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’. In: Onibokun, A.G. (ed.) Managing the Monster: Urban Waste and Governance in Africa. International Development Research Centre, Ottawa. Full text online at http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-42977-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html [This website also offers a French-language version]
Marshall J (2001) Water and sanitation and poverty monitoring in Tanzania: A review of the bigger picture and where WaterAid could fit in. WaterAid consultancy report.
Penrose K, Caldads de Castro M, Werema J & Ryan ET (2010) Informal Urban Settlements and Cholera Risk in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2010 March; 4(3): e631. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000631. http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articlerender.cgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=20300569
Sawio (2002) Managing urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam. SDP Urban Agriculture Working Group. http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/bitstream/10625/23305/1/108517.pdf
UNEP/GRID-Arendal (2002) Water availability in Africa. UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/water_availability_in_africa.
UN-Habitat (2004a) The Sustainable Cities Programme in Tanzania 1992-2003. The SCP Documentation Series, Volume 2. http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=1808
UN-Habitat (2004b) The Sustainable Dar es Salaam Project 1992 - 2003. The SCP Documentation Series, Volume 3. http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=1809
UN-Habitat (2008) The state of African cities. UN-Habitat, Nairobi. http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=2574
World Bank (2003) “Appraisal Report: Dar es Salaam Water Supply and Sanitation Project”. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2003/05/08/000090341_20030508103932/Rendered/PDF/25249.pdf ; see also http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=64290415&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P059073,
Other City Profiles
4) ANTANANARIVO (Madagascar) 3
7) BRAZZAVILLE (Republic of Congo) 3
12) DAR ES SALAAM (Tanzania) 3
14) DURBAN THEKWINI (South Africa) 3
18) JOHANNESBURG-EKURHULENI (South Africa) 3
23) KINSHASA (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
27) LUBUMBASHI (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
31) MBUJI-MAYI (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
35) OUGADOUGOU (Burkina Faso) 3
36) PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa) 3
