Water Utility of the Future: National Water and Sewerage Corporation

Executive overview

Key findings

1,004,197: water connections in FY 2024/25, against a 2030 target of 1.3 million (target)

34%: non-revenue water in FY 2024/25 against a 33% target; the 2030 target is 28%

UGX 8.2 trillion: cost of the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, about 60% to come from internal resources (plan)

About 52%: share of Katosi's 160 million liters a day that the network could carry in September 2026

Buyer relevance

Who the report is for

Development finance institutions funding Ugandan water

Judge where Package 2B, Masaka, Mbarara and the proposed 50-town program sit against NWSC's financing capacity and government arrears.

Network, metering and SCADA suppliers

See which digital programs are piloting or under construction, from Kampala district metering to the Kampala Water SCADA upgrade and Gulu prepaid points.

Ministry, regulator and board advisers

Compare NWSC's scorecard results, effluent permit position and tariff indexation with the 2030 targets.

Energy and efficiency providers

Use the energy spend, water output and electricity tariff series to size efficiency opportunities in pumping and treatment.

Decision scope

Questions answered

How fast are NWSC's connections growing?

Connections rose from 724,006 in FY 2019/20 to 1,004,197 in FY 2024/25; the 2030 target is 1.3 million.

Has non-revenue water fallen?

Not materially: it was 34% in FY 2019/20 and 34% in FY 2024/25, against a 28% target for 2030.

How is the 2025–2030 plan to be funded?

The UGX 8.2 trillion plan expects about 60% from internal resources, 27% from development partners, 6% from Government and 4% from market finance.

How large are unpaid government bills?

About UGX 69.94 billion from 40 agencies at December 2025, as reported to Parliament. NWSC's 10th Corporate Plan separately put signed-off government arrears at UGX 72 billion in June 2023.

How much does energy cost NWSC?

Energy spend was UGX 74 billion in FY 2021/22, 18.7% of expenditure before depreciation.

Inside the report

Inside the complete report

Executive Snapshot

1. From Service Provider to System Operator

2. System Intelligence and Digital Control

3. Energy, Carbon, and Resource Decoupling

4. Infrastructure Strategy for a Non-Stationary Climate

5. Customers, Demand, and the Water Prosumer

6. Governance, Regulation, and Institutional Reform

7. Capital Planning and Financial Architecture

8. Workforce, Capability, and Organisational Change

9. Strategic System Roadmap

Conclusion

Source Register

Public preview

What to watch next

1. From Service Provider to System Operator

NWSC's FY 2025/26 results against the Strategic Plan's first-year targets, especially non-revenue water and effluent compliance.

4. Infrastructure Strategy for a Non-Stationary Climate

Commissioning of the Namugongo–Kasangati line from December 2026; Katosi output as Package 2B sections connect; an AFD decision on Mbarara; the start of works procurement for the Arua program.

5. Customers, Demand, and the Water Prosumer

The July 2027 indexation; complaint volumes against the Customer Charter standards; the spread of prepaid metering beyond Gulu.

7. Capital Planning and Financial Architecture

The audited FY 2024/25 accounts and debt balance; payment of government arrears in the FY 2026/27 budget; a Government decision on the 50-town loan.

Report page showing a five-year table of NWSC financial indicators in UGX billion and a table of funding elements with their status. — Sample page · page 9 of 14
Section 7: NWSC's turnover, EBITDA, borrowings and cash from FY 2019/20 to FY 2023/24, with its funding sources and plans.

Included

What you receive

The complete PDF report: 14 pages, 12 sections, 16 tables and a register of 29 sources.

This edition

November 2026, First edition.

Evidence & method

Evidence and method

NWSC's integrated annual reports and audited accounts for FY 2017/18 to FY 2023/24, its corporate plans and 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, tariff schedules and Customer Charter. Ministry of Water and Environment performance reports and regulator scorecard, an Auditor General follow-up audit, and dated 2025–2026 reporting on projects, financing and arrears.

Sources

29 sources, listed in the report's source register. Evidence current to 3 November 2026. Principal data periods: FY 2023/24 audited results (year ended 30 June 2024); FY 2024/25 performance from the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan; tariffs in force from 1 July 2026; project status to September 2026. Currency is Uganda shillings (UGX) unless stated; euro and US dollar amounts are given where the source states them..

Evidence boundaries

This report uses authoritative source material available at the stated research cutoff. It distinguishes published facts, calculated values and analytical interpretation. No independent modelling is performed. Forward-looking analysis reflects published plans, documented trends and stated uncertainties. It does not constitute legal, financial, investment or engineering advice.

Lead analyst

Robert C. Brears

Founder, Our Future Water Intelligence

Robert C. Brears is a water-security specialist and author whose work examines utility governance, infrastructure investment, climate resilience and long-term water-system change for executive and policy audiences.

Decision-focused utility intelligence
Published water-policy author
Evidence-grounded system analysis

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