At 30 June 2024, National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) operated 23,334 km of water pipe network and 766 km of sewers. Between FY 2019/20 and FY 2023/24, the water network grew by 3,360 km; the sewer network grew by 73 km.
Few customers on sewers
Sewer connections rose from 20,355 in FY 2015/16 to 28,703 in FY 2022/23. In FY 2022/23, NWSC had 892,099 water connections, so sewer connections were about 3.2% of the total. The great majority of the households and businesses that NWSC supplies with piped water have no sewer connection.
Treatment has improved; permits have not
The sewage that does reach NWSC's plants is treated far better than it was. Effluent compliance rose each year from 41.7% in FY 2018/19 to 80.9% in FY 2023/24, against a 60% target. Permitting has not kept pace. In its November 2024 follow-up audit, the Auditor General found that by July 2024, 15 sewage treatment facilities (83%) did not have valid effluent discharge permits, and that effluent from the Mbarara, Masindi and Hoima plants did not meet faecal coliform standards.
The Kampala sludge project waits
The project designed to manage faecal sludge across Greater Kampala has completed its feasibility and baseline studies, but in April 2026 it was on hold pending a funder decision. Mbarara's water supply and sanitation package was also on hold, awaiting about EUR 40 million of extra financing.
Where sanitation sits in NWSC's 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, how the regulator scorecard treats sewerage, and which secondary-city schemes are funded are covered in the full report. The full report, Water Systems Overview: National Water and Sewerage Corporation, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the National Water and Sewerage Corporation Utility Snapshot.