Maputo’s water and sanitation utility, Água e Saneamento de Maputo (SAAS), requires approximately €891.3 million (one billion US dollars) to expand water supply systems and address the shortfall affecting the city and province of Maputo. The figure was disclosed by SAAS administrator and delegate Jânio Langa, who acknowledged that current capacity is insufficient to meet demand.

According to Langa, efforts are under way to mobilise financial resources to increase water production and distribution capacity in the region, against a backdrop of rising demand. Maputo currently needs to produce around 500,000 cubic metres of water per day, but available capacity stands at approximately 300,000 cubic metres daily.

That gap represents a deficit of roughly 200,000 cubic metres per day, equivalent to about 40% of estimated needs. Langa acknowledged that insufficient production continues to constrain water supply to residents, forcing the company to pursue technical interventions to minimise supply failures.

SAAS also faces challenges in controlling water losses, linked to the deterioration of infrastructure and the presence of illegal connections. The utility serves a customer base of approximately 320,000 clients, of whom around 60,000 are classified as suspended — including consumers whose locations could not be identified but who may continue to draw water from the public network.

To address these issues, the company is rolling out community awareness campaigns aimed at strengthening consumer contribution to the system’s sustainability. Meanwhile, SAAS receives more than 1,200 complaints per month from a portfolio of around 260,000 active clients, with the majority related to billing amounts that consumers consider excessive.

On the technical side, Jânio Langa announced planned supply interruptions to allow maintenance and improvement works on distribution lines and pipelines at various points across the region. Through these interventions, the company aims to minimise supply failures despite current production capacity constraints.

Langa also indicated that a contingency plan has been drawn up to ensure water availability, taking into account risks associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon and increased consumption during the festive season. The measures are intended to address additional pressure on the system while financing for infrastructure expansion continues to be mobilised.