The advanced water abstraction system rolled out by Davis & Shirtliff, East Africa’s leading water and energy solutions provider, across the region to address worsening water scarcity affecting millions of people./HANDOUT
Davis & Shirtliff, a leading water and energy solutions providers, has embarked on a major regional initiative to expand access to safe and reliable water through the deployment of advanced water abstraction systems.
The rollout comes amid escalating water scarcity affecting millions across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The company’s latest installation is in Tanzania’s Kigoma Region, where a modern pumping system is drawing water from Lake Tanganyika to serve thousands of households and institutions.
The high-efficiency pumps are strategically installed below water level to maintain strong suction, while motors are stationed above ground to enhance safety and simplify maintenance.
The configuration is also designed to adapt to fluctuating silt levels during the rainy season, ensuring consistent year-round performance.
Once the water is extracted and treated, it is propelled over long distances and steep terrain using high-pressure Rovatti pumps before being channelled into storage reservoirs for community distribution.
“Similar projects in Ethiopia have already delivered impressive results, reaffirming our capacity to implement large-scale, sustainable water solutions across diverse environments,” said Eng. Amos Wambura, Group General Machinery Support, Davis & Shirtliff.
The company's accelerated interventions come at a time when global and regional institutions are sounding the alarm on rapidly declining water availability.
According to the World Bank, Eastern Africa ranks among the regions most affected by water stress. I
n Tanzania, renewable freshwater availability per person has plummeted from over 3,000 m³ to roughly 1,600 m³ in just 25 years.
Kenya faces comparable strain, with an estimated 85 per cent of the country classified as arid or semi-arid.
Many rural communities continue to face acute water shortages, worsened by uneven distribution of water resources and persistent drought cycles.
The 2025 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) further underscores the urgency, noting that more than 47 per cent of people in Eastern and Southern Africa — about 226 million individuals — still lack basic drinking water services.
Projections indicate that 230 million Africans will face water scarcity in the coming years, while up to 460 million will experience conditions where water demand periodically exceeds supply.
“Innovation is key to tackling the water crisis. At Davis & Shirtliff, we are committed to leveraging technology to build efficient, scalable systems that improve lives, conserve resources, and strengthen climate resilience across the region,” the company said.
