The study explored involvement and participation of local institutions in water
resources management in Mazimbu Ward within Morogoro Municipality. The study
employed a case study design where data were collected using questionnaires and
supplemented by interviews (primary data) from three categories of respondents,
namely community members, MORUWASA staffs and local leaders. The data
obtained were analysed using SPSS version 6.
The findings revealed that more than Tsh 86,000/= was charged to the community
members in getting water pipe per month. Nearly 44% of the community members
were using private water tapes from their neighbourhood, who were connected from
the main pipes. Public tapes were not operating well as institutions concerned were
not repairing them as a time of leakages occurred for about 56%. Further it was
reported that 36% of water resources management and protection rules and
procedures were not cascaded down to the grassroots level hence rendering
community involvement exercise difficult and unpractical at about 64%.
This study recommends providing education to community members; also, water
bills to be affordable, water pipes repair and maintenance should be done by the
members themselves by organizing or forming a committee which will collect
money through visiting one street after another and private water pipes installation
should be discouraged. These can enhance the community involvement and reduce
the complications that occur due to water scarcity. Therefore, further investigation is
needed on local institutions and water resources management in urban areas because
still in urban areas local communities are lowly involved in management of water
resources. Water tapes are left without repair and the bills given are high, service
delivery is not satisfactory and there is bad governance in the distribution of water in
urban areas.