Hon. Sultan Lam Tungwar, Undersecretary at the National Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation - Courtesy

The high cost of water in Central Equatoria State is primarily driven by a severe shortage of water treatment facilities to meet growing demand, a senior government official has said.

Speaking on Eye Radio’s Sundown Show, the Undersecretary at the National Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Sultan Lam Tungwar, stated that the ministry and its development partners are actively working to expand the state’s water infrastructure to lower costs and improve access to safe drinking water.

Tungwar added that the government’s long-term strategy aims to connect households directly to piped water networks, systematically phasing out reliance on commercial water tankers.

“The concern about high water tariffs is valid, especially coming from those who are most affected,” Tungwar said. “The current increase is due to the scarcity of water produced from our treatment plant. Our goal is to ensure that in the near future, water tankers will no longer be needed, and every household will have direct access to water within their compound.”

The Undersecretary revealed immediate plans to extend the urban water network to Lologo, Munuki, and Gurei—residential areas experiencing rapid population growth.

However, Tungwar explained that while existing reservoirs are currently full, the lack of secondary distribution networks and the limited capacity of the city’s main treatment plant hamper effective supply.

“These areas are relatively new and rapidly growing, so efforts are underway to connect them to the water network,” Tungwar stated. “However, the key challenge isn’t just providing water treatment; it’s establishing the necessary infrastructure for distribution. Our existing treatment plant is small and cannot handle the volume required for the growing demand. We ask the communities for patience.”

To address the institutional challenges facing the sector, the ministry is awaiting a legislative overhaul.

Tungwar noted that once the pending water bill is signed into law by the President, it will provide a robust legal framework to streamline water regulation, distribution, tariff supervision, and inter-ministerial operations.