The Township, which is the focal point for the Karatu District, with over 250,000 residents in total, have
been relying on water from natural sources located within the Northern Highland Forest Reserve as well
as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The rivers and springs from the reserved area pump in some 1,745 cubic metres of water on daily basis.
“But the town needs 3,870 cubic metres of water daily, which means the supply can satisfy just 50 per
cent of the water needs in Karatu Urban,” explained.
Mr Steven James Siay, the Manager in-charge for Karatu Village Water Supply (KAVIWASU), a local
project that supplies clean water in the township. According to Mr James Siay, the water they supply is
tapped from Marera River whose water flow is measured at 500,000 litres and the Endoro River with a
pumping flow of 1,200 litres.
“But these are measured during rainy seasons like now, in other times the water flow is reduced by nearly
70 per cent,” he pointed out. Mr Joseph Selestine Lolo, the KAVIWASU Board Chairman, said they were
compelled to also drill boreholes around the town and surrounding villages to supplement the water
needs.
“The demand keeps increasing and we have projected that in three years’ time, by 2019 Karatu township
will be needing a daily water supply of 6,770 cubic metres of water,” he said.
With both rivers that supply water being hosted within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority,
Karatu officials have taken the initiative of helping conserve forest reserve mapped within the park.
Despite the small population Karatu Town is always receiving thousands of visitors daily, including
tourists, researchers, traders who go there to buy farm produce and cattle as well as travellers on transit
to the Lake Zone regions of Mara and Kagera.
