The Status of Domestic Water Supply and its Implications: A Case of Kondoa District Council, Tanzania

Abstract

This study investigated about the Status of domestic water supply and its implications in Kondoa District Council, Tanzania. The study employed the descriptive cross-sectional design. The target population was 6126 households from two Wards (Kikore and Mnenia) in the Kondoa District Council.  The study used the Yamane formula to determine the sample size of 376 respondents. Thereafter, 376 respondents (household heads) were drawn from the population through the systematic random sampling.  Secondly, key informants (government officials from higher and lower LGAs) were selected purposely by virtue of positions they held. The study used a questionnaire survey, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and observations as sources of data. Quantitative data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Data from in-depth interview, observation and FGDs was analyzed by the thematic method. The study concludes that physical access to water points was crucial as the majority of respondents received water beyond the target of 30 minutes specified in policy statements. Furthermore, there is inadequate water quality. Therefore, Kondoa District Council was not on course to meet the established standards outlined in the national water policy of 2002 and the overall target for water access set in Tanzania's development vision for 2025. One of key recommendations is the empowerment of the water users, water institutions and village leaders who can make huge contributions to improve the status of water service delivery in terms of physical access, quality and quantity.