Water Supply Challenges in Cities as a Result of Urbanization: Analyzing the Hurdles of Achieving Universal Water Access in Kampala

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version has not yet been published.Like many cities in developing countries, the city of Kampala, Uganda, experiences infrastructure strains caused by rapid urbanization. Many immigrants settle in urban slums with minimal infrastructure, thus necessitating careful planning of future resources. Water resources in these areas are commonly served by communal facilities as a result of the high population density which have historically been dependent on private vendors to both set prices and serve as distribution points for water. In 2008, the Government of Uganda began implementing prepaid meters in an attempt to provide the entire city with clean water access by 2015 and curb ineffective private water distribution (Muhairwe, 2013a). Predicting when the unfulfilled universal access goal can be achieved requires in-depth statistical and qualitative analysis. Social aspects must combine with sound financial and technical plans to achieve such a goal. Carefully planning solutions depends on the ability to accurately predict growth rates and service expansion, which must be coupled with measurements of water consumption and treatment plant output to determine the limiting factors. Analysis of different scenarios illustrates how growth and water consumption impact the timeframe to achieve universal water access, and the necessary infrastructure enhancements. Combining quantitative and qualitative data can facilitate a detailed plan which focuses resources on the areas which will benefit most