AAWSA to Use Eminent Domain to Curb Water Shortage

Failing to supply around 50pc of Addis Abeba's residents with clean potable water, AAWSA has been forced to take all measures within its powers to expand its delivery systems. The latest attempt involves negotiations with companies operating private wells within city boundaries. However, there is reluctance on the part of some companies to give up control of a reliable source when they fear the lack of dependability on AAWSA's part.

The Addis Abeba Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) is attempting to secure additional water supply from the owners of deep water wells in Addis Abeba to alleviate the chronic shortage of water in the city.

According to AAWSA, there are over 200 wells in Addis Abeba. The Authority has started negotiations with 23 companies who own deep water wells including Matador-Addis Tyre, Addis Abeba Abattoirs Enterprise, the Addis Abeba branch of Mugher Cement Factory, Elfora Agro Industry, Akaki Steel Products Factory and Kaliti Food Complex.

AAWSA is targeting these companies because they have extra water supplies from their wells, in addition to the supply they get from water mains managed by the Authority. AAWSA hopes to reach an agreement with these firms on optimising the utilisation of the water from the companies' wells.

A proclamation passed in 1995 gives AAWSA the mandate to temporarily take control and manage, or even confiscate private water wells in the event of water crisis in the city. This eminent domain provision, however, comes into force when water levels at dams are low due to drought, earthquake and other calamities.

A management member of AAWSA told Fortune that the current water crisis is not due to sudden problems. It is rather the result of insufficient water supply development work in the past, and funding problems for the implementation of the Cibilu and Gerbi dam projects, which could have met the demands of the city for 30 years.

AAWSA set up a task force that will try to convince the well owners of its plan. Most of these firms use their wells to supply water for industrial purposes, but they use the water from the city's mains to meet drinking and other similar consumptions by their workers, a member of the task force told Fortune.

One of these companies, Akaki Food Complex, has three wells, but only uses one; the other two are sitting idle. The management has offered to dig wells for AAWSA if paid the appropriate compensation, but this offer has not yet been accepted by the AAWSA management.

Getu Kebede, general manager of Kaliti Food Complex, told Fortune that they need to be compensated if they have to surrender their water wells. Accordingly, the company has proposed that AAWSA come up with its own set of recommendations to take the negotiation forward, but they have yet to hear from the Authority.

A member of the management of one Enterprise told Fortune that they can not afford to surrender their water well for one minute as their production demands an uninterrupted supply of water.

"We can not give out our wells and depend on the Authority's supply which may fail anytime," said the source.

Around 48pc of Addis Abeba's estimated four million inhabitants do not have access to clean potable water. In the 2005/06 budget year, AAWSA supplied 75 million cubic metres of water and planned to supply 86.4 million cubic metres this year. This plan was expected to materialise by controlling wastage and sinking 30 wells.

But with only a month left in the current fiscal year, only five wells have been brought into the system. This has led to a reshuffling of the management of the Authority by the Addis Ababa City Caretaker Administration (AACCA).