In several neighborhoods of Yaounde, prolonged water cuts have become part of residents’ daily lives. Taps run dry for days, forcing households to look for alternative sources to meet their basic needs. Beyond the inconvenience, prolonged interruptions in water supply can also create serious public health concerns, particularly when access to safe water becomes limited.
Dry taps, disrupted routines
In Yaounde, piped water is essential for drinking, cooking, washing and maintaining household hygiene. But when supply is interrupted, families are forced to adapt. Some residents store water in buckets, basins and other containers, while others turn to wells, boreholes or water vendors.
In the Mvan neighborhood for example, residents don’t know anymore which way to turn. For over a week now, not a single drop of water has come out from their taps. For many households of the neighborhood, the consequences are immediate: difficulties preparing meals, washing clothes, cleaning homes and maintaining personal hygiene. “Water cuts turn ordinary daily activities into a real struggle,” says a resident.
The situation becomes more and more complicated for them given that water stored in runs out, and alternative solutions are far from home or expensive. For families with limited resources, purchasing water repeatedly can place an additional burden on household budgets.
Alternative sources at the center of the problem
Faced with this situation, residents do not have other choices than to rely on whatever source is available. Wells, boreholes, streams and privately supplied water
become important alternatives, but their safety cannot always be guaranteed.
The way water is transported and stored can also affect its quality. Containers that are not properly cleaned or covered may become contaminated, especially when water is kept for several days. Frequent handling can further increase the risk of contamination.
“We are sure of nothing with the water we are consuming. Sometimes, we end up with really bad stomach issues when consuming water from wells or boreholes. What we sometimes do is boil the water to get rid of bacteria present in it,” explains a resident.
Households with greater financial resources, for the sake of their health, turn to bottled water for drinking and use other water sources for house chores.
A problem that becomes a health issue
When access to safe water is limited, the consequences go beyond discomfort. According to the epidemiologist Kouokam Domguia, insufficient access to clean water can make it more difficult for households to maintain proper hygiene and can increase exposure to certain infectious diseases.
When people have less water available for handwashing, cleaning utensils or maintaining household sanitation, the risk of transmitting pathogens can increase. Contaminated water can also expose populations to waterborne diseases, particularly when alternative sources are unsafe.
Children, older people, immunocompromised individuals and households with limited access to safe alternative water sources can be particularly vulnerable.
Ensuring access, but also preventing contamination
Reducing the health impact of water cuts cannot rely solely on restoring supply. Better communication about interruptions, more reliable alternative water points and regular maintenance of water infrastructure are also important.
Households have a role to play as well: drinking water should be kept in clean, covered containers, and hands and utensils should be kept as clean as possible during collection and storage.
In the households of Yaounde, access to water is therefore more than a matter of comfort. Behind every dry tap is a household trying to preserve basic hygiene, protect its food and secure safe drinking water. When interruptions become prolonged, a problem of water supply can quickly become a public health concern.
