Africa-Press – Uganda. Ms Janet Ndagire remembers how, in the late 1990s, she navigated the tedious process of securing a water connection at her home in Kampala.
A fortnight of assessments and paperwork secured her a metre and culminated in the gratifying flow of water. But she still had to queue at the National Water & Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to pay the bills.
Now Ms Ndagire, who works as a project associate at UN Global Pulse, tells a different story. “I haven’t visited the office in over five years. Their services are seamless.”
Back in the 1990s, NWSC was operating in 28 towns and generating Shs150-160 billion in annual revenue. Fast forward to 2023, and it operates in over 270 towns nationwide, with an increase in revenue to Shs500 billion.
As engineer Jude Mwoga, director of information and operations, explains, this threefold increase is due to a series of digital strategies that have streamlined the corporation’s work.
“First, we operate as a data-driven organisation,” he told, adding, “In every department, there’s a systematic approach for collecting, storing, analysing, and disseminating data.”
The water water office, which serves some 900,000 customers, prides itself on a robust customer relations system. It addresses complaints promptly, mapping and analysing them quarterly. This enables the network to identify areas experiencing water shortages before making informed decisions for system upgrades.
Similarly, when it comes to assessing water quality, samples are systematically monitored. Mr Mwoga says “this informs our understanding of chemical consumption levels and areas where water quality may be deteriorating.”
In pursuit of efficiency, the water office is likely to invest in telemetry to monitor bursts in water piping, although the technology is expensive.
“National Water is not there yet,” Mr Mwoga conceded, adding, “Presently, we rely on the social fabric. When someone calls and informs us, ‘National Water, we have a burst here’, that’s how we respond.”
But at least two or three water plants in metropolitan Kampala operate under the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.
“They are highly automated, making it possible to handle almost all operations on the computer,” the NWSC engineer revealed.
While the water office is improving its own operations, it is also integrating with other government entities. Uganda is keen on encouraging this as it moves away from keeping data in silos and develops a national data strategy.
Peter Mutungire, information technology director at the water office, said phased data integration with other entities was contributing to an evolving landscape.
“We are integrating with the Uganda Revenue Authority for the invoicing system,” he disclosed.
Mr Mutungire attributes this progress to the automation of systems at the NWSC, which is also exploring validating clients’ national identification numbers, contingent on successful data integration with Uganda’s National Identification and Registration Authority.
Ugandans have concerns about personal data privacy, particularly when it comes to matters of tax and locating individuals. Mr Mutungire, however, says: “The taxman is authorised by law to access customer information. We share data strictly related to our customer’s consumption of water because this is what constitutes a taxable element.”
Mr Mutungire reckons “organisational restructuring” has brought the office close to an ideal level of efficiency. Before, the IT team was merely under the finance and accounts department, now the team has autonomy.
And thanks to the IT department, customers can apply for services and effortlessly pay through digital systems. This translates into an absence of queues for customers like Ms Ndagire.
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