On 22 October 2021, a Record of Discussions for the launch of the 5-year Project named “The Project for WASAC Utility Turnaround with KAIZEN Approach” was signed between Water and Sanitation Corporation Limited (WASAC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The Project aims at enhancing WASAC’s capacity in Strategic Infrastructure planning and implementation of the Kigali Water Supply Master Plan, improvement of service and customer satisfaction, identifying gaps for cost-effective operation, tackling issues related to non-revenue water (NRW), and improving the utility financial management capacity through technical cooperation, experience sharing and learning from Japanese Experts. To tackle some of the issues mentioned above, the project will assist WASAC develop its new 5 Years Strategic Plan (5YSP) and its implementation.
The project culminates from the findings of the recently completed Kigali Water Supply Masterplan (M/P) which identified that towards the horizon of 2050, water demand of Kigali city will increase to 1,070,000 m3/day, close to 10 times the current water demand in 2021. For such demand to be met, WASAC expressed its need for the utility to turnaround its operations through the spirit of KAIZEN approach. KAIZEN is a Japanese term meaning: "change for the better" or "continuous improvement." KAIZEN is a Japanese business philosophy regarding the processes that continuously improve efficiency in operations and involve all employees.
JICA has been supporting WASAC to strategically reduce Non Revenue Water in the City of Kigali and the development of the Kigali Water Supply Master Plan. Additionally there is an ongoing grant aid project for strengthening the principal water transmission pipeline from Nzove Water Treatment Plant to Ntora Reservoir to increase access to safe drinking water in various parts of the City of Kigali.
