The Eastern Umbrella of Water and Sanitation (EUWS) is a government entity under the Ministry of Water and Environment’s Utility Support Division. It is also one of six regional Umbrellas mandated to undertake O&M of rural piped water supply and sanitation systems. Since its gazettement in June 2017, EUWS has invested in staff and institutional capacity to deliver reliable and equitable services.

The Utility currently oversees 110 schemes, 128 water sources, 2,651 km of mains, 23,583 connections, 25 public toilets, and 3 fecal sludge treatment plants (FSTP), serving over 1,000,000 people across 1,537 villages within 34 districts and peri-urban areas in three cities. Governance is provided by an Executive Board, while service delivery is executed by 72 Secretariat staff and 283 field staff. In the past three years, significant progress has been achieved through the EU-WOP Phase 1 (EPICS Project), alongside other Partners counterpart contributions.

EUWS adopts the Umbrella model that is tailored towards operating piped water supply systems serving small towns and rural growth centers with tariff charges that are acceptable and affordable by the rural and peri-urban communities to ensure sustainability and accessibility to piped water supply services with strategic objectives of:

• Service reliability; through improved access to services and reduced down time

• Financial sustainability by developing the capacity of schemes to generate sufficient revenue (reducing NRW and financial leakages)

• Innovate ways of providing services to the rural poor, institutions, & rural based cottage industries at the least possible cost.

Our Vision 2030: To be the best provider of water and sanitation services in Uganda

Our Mission: To provide all households in Eastern Uganda with safe and affordable water and sanitation services by accelerating service coverage, creating a customer-focused culture and conserving the environment.

1.     UN-HABIT EU-WOPS EPICS Project funded by EU and managed by GWOPA, implemented partnership with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water UK and WaterAID  (July 2022 – June 2025)

With over $407k funded from the EU, together with $702k of counterpart funding, Aimed at strengthening the Organisational capacity through pilot in three priority water supply schemes of Namutumba, Namayingo and Buyende. The objective was to transform the three proposed schemes into model schemes in the region to offer learning and benchmarking opportunities in the best practices of water utitlity operations.

·      Key result areas included: Asset management,Water supply availability, Equity and social inclusion, Customer centeredness, Risk management, Improved HR.

·      Key outputs included: motorisation of 7m3 solar pumping system in Namutumba, solar installation to 4 water sources, 51km Network extension, 946 new connections, Water loss management training delivered with acquisition of leak detection equipment donated, 55 direct participants from MWE/Umbrella, 8000 hours staff time contribution, establishment of a customer relations management system, Meter replacement  and Bulk metering (500 Micro, 12 Bulk Meters), 9No.Pressure and flow telemetry data loggers installed, development of water safety plans, onboarding asset management best practices,

·      The interventions contributed towards; Strong commitment by the MWE-EUWS to support Capacity building and Capital development Collaborations, Enhanced capacity of the Umbrellas to engage in feature Capacity building collaborations, improved service delivery.

2.     NEXUS GREEN PROJECT (2023 todate

This is an ongoing project and it’saimed at installation of solar powered water systems as alternative power supply for improved water production. Currently over 7 sources Have been installed with solar pumping systems to mention Buyende source 2, Namutumba, Nankoma, Namayingo, Ocaapa and Ochero .

3.     ERT-1&2 PROJECT (2015-2022)

This is project aimed at installation of solar powered systems to support water systems run only on diesel generators. Schemes supported include Kamod, Namwiwa, Kapelebyong, Buyende 1, and Irundu.

4.     JICA Uganda  (Improved water supply reliability), (2023-2024)

This project was a supplementary investment to 7 piped water systems that were initially constructed by JICA in the period from 2014 -2016, supplementary works included water source protection and installation of solar pumping systems to kidetok 1 and 2 sources, power control upgrades to Kapala and lambala water source and addition of 200 new connections in the 7 schemes.

5.     SCAP 100 (Service Coverage Acceleration Program) project financed by World Bank and Government of Uganda, (2018 todate)

This project aims at ensuring equitable and accelerated access to piped water services to ruralcommunities. Sofar over 58km of new extensions and over 2000 new connections have implemented

6.     Water for People,

The development partner has established a memorandum of understanding and has been able to support system improvement works (Pipe upgrades, extensions, metering  and new connections as well as effective takeover and management of over 5 piped water systems  in Luuka, Construction of complete solar powered piped water system (Nabyoto wss)

7.     Integrated Water Management Development Program (WorldBank)

The IWMDP was developed under the Ministry of Water and Environment as an integrated water resource management and development project with objectives of improving integrated water resources planning, management and development and Access to water and sanitation services in priority urban areas and Rural growth. The project support system strengthening and professionalisation of the Umbrellas.

8.     Accelerated access to affordable piped water through installation of Prepaid meters with support by Goal Uganda

Over 13 mini piped water systems and one full scale piped water system constructed and handed over to EUWS for O&M with a total of over 60No. prepaid sasteq public stand posts as well as support towards system strengthening.

9.     Improved water quality through installation of chlorine dosing facilities with support from Evidence Action

The IWMDP was developed under the Ministry of Water and Environment as an integrated water resource management and development project with objectives of improving integrated water resources planning, management and development and Access to water and sanitation services in priority urban areas and Rural growth. The project support system strengthening and professionalisation of the Umbrellas

10.  International Training Programme for Sustainable Urban Water and Sanitation (ITP-SUWAS) supported by SIDA and facilitated by waterAid

An 18 month capacity building initiative by NIRAS in collaboration with WaterAid and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to improve urban water and sanitation services in Africa and Asia. The program trained professionals in WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) to implement "change projects" that addressed local challenges, focusing on equity, stakeholder engagement, and institutional effectiveness. Over 6 staff participated in the programme that have since contributed to the organisations growth through knowledge transfer.