COLONIAL WATER SERVICES IN AFRICA
This included supply of clean water to the residential areas and the removal of sewage (dirty water) from the residential areas in colonial time. Colonial water services were mainly considered in the urban areas near production areas. The services were hardly found in the labor serve rural areas.
OBJECTIVES OF COLONIAL WATER SERVICES
The improvement of personal hygiene of both the natives and the immigrant races.
Prevention of diseases related to the lack of clean water e.g. Cholera and diarrhea.
Increasing the living standards of people especially the native urban dwellers.
Improving the quality of labor (native labor). A healthy labor was more preferred by colonial investor.
Serving the whites residential areas. The settler’s homes had to be supplied with clean water for various purposes and the removal of sewage.
In the production areas, water was also highly demanded for animal keeping e.g. drinking and dipping services. It was also demanded for irrigation.
Water services were also meant for fire handling by the colonial fire brigade.
FEATURES OF COLONIAL WATER SERVICES
Was provided by the colonial government and its agents to the whites and the natives races.
It wasn’t equally supplied. The whites were more favored than the native (racially provided).
The rural areas lacked these services because they were not mostly inhabited by the whites.
Water supply was associated with the urbanization. The urban areas had enough water supplies.
Existence of community water selling outlets. The urban areas had.
Existence of colonial laws to protect the water sheds (sources of water).
Existence of treated tap water which wasn’t common in pre-colonial times.
IMPACTS OF COLONIAL WATER SERVICES
Promoted the rural urban migration of the natives along with other social services
Promoted racial segregation. The white’s residential areas received water services per individual home “House” while the natives had to buy water in the community water outlets.
Restrictions: The natives were forbidden to perform their activities in their watershed (sources of water).
Created employment to the plumbers, both natives and immigrants.
It was associated with environmental population e.g. handling of the sewage. In Dar es Salaam for instance it was dumped in the Indian Ocean.
It facilitate colonial schemes such as dipping, irrigation schemes.
Improvement of the native’s hygiene and prevention of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and others.
