Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority
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Name	Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority
Native name	ঢাকা পানি সরবরাহ ও পয়ঃনিস্কাশন কর্তৃপক্ষ
Formation	1963 (origins), statutory authority 1996
Headquarters	Dhaka
Region served	Greater Dhaka
Leader title	Chairman
Parent organization	Government of Bangladesh

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority is the principal public utility responsible for water distribution and wastewater services in the Dhaka metropolitan area, serving millions across Dhaka District, Gazipur District, Narayanganj District and Savar Upazila. It evolved from colonial- and provincial-era water departments into a modern statutory authority interacting with national bodies such as the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, the Bangladesh Water Development Board and multilateral partners like the World Bank. The authority's mandate spans engineering, public health, urban planning and environmental regulation, intersecting with institutions including the Dhaka North City Corporation, the Dhaka South City Corporation and development programs by the Asian Development Bank.

History

The institution traces antecedents to municipal water works established under British rule in Bengal Presidency and later reorganizations during the Pakistan period, with major expansions during the Bangladesh Liberation War aftermath and the 1970s reconstruction era. Legislative reform in the 1990s established the statutory framework that aligned the authority with national decentralization efforts led by the Local Government Division and policy initiatives influenced by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Programme. Major milestones include network expansions responding to population surges following rural–urban migration linked to events such as the 1970 Bhola cyclone and economic shifts associated with the Ready-made garment industry boom. Partnerships with development financiers such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency and projects inspired by the Dhaka Master Plan further shaped its trajectory.

Organization and Governance

The authority is led by a Chairman appointed under national statute and governed by a board that coordinates with the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, the Public Accounts Committee (Bangladesh Parliament), and oversight by institutions like the Anti-Corruption Commission (Bangladesh). Operational divisions mirror utility norms seen in metropolitan agencies in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, including engineering, finance, customer service, and environmental compliance units. Strategic planning engages with the Bangladesh Water Act-era policies and regional coordination with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for demand forecasting and with academic partners such as the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and Dhaka University for technical studies.

Services and Operations

Primary services include potable water production and distribution, metering, billing, network maintenance, emergency response, and sanitation coordination in collaboration with municipal wards of Gulshan and Mirpur. Operations encompass bulk intake from sources connected by projects like the Ganges–Padma conjunctive use arrangements, pumping across riverine islands like Dhanmondi corridors, and service provision amid high-density neighborhoods including Old Dhaka and Mohammadpur. Customer interfaces and social outreach reference precedents from utilities such as Singapore Public Utilities Board for demand management and Thames Water for customer billing modernization.

Infrastructure and Facilities

Infrastructure assets include treatment plants, elevated reservoirs, pumping stations, distribution mains, and a growing network of sewerage trunklines. Notable facilities and project sites have been developed near river systems including the Buriganga River, the Turag River, and the Balu River. Expansion projects reference engineering models used by the Netherlands Water Board and urban drainage designs influenced by Dutch Water Management partnerships. Interface points with transport infrastructure include corridors adjacent to the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway and transit nodes such as Shahjalal International Airport logistics zones.

Water Treatment, Supply and Quality

Treatment operations follow coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and chlorination sequences adapted to local source-water challenges influenced by tidal and monsoon regimes documented in studies with the Bangladesh Meteorological Department and the Bangladesh Water Development Board. Quality monitoring protocols align with standards promoted by the World Health Organization, national guidelines administered by the Directorate General of Health Services, and laboratory collaborations with International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. Supply planning addresses seasonal variability driven by monsoon events tied to the Bay of Bengal and transboundary water negotiations involving the Ganges Water Treaty framework.

Sewerage, Drainage and Wastewater Management

Sewerage and stormwater management integrate trunk sewer construction, interceptor networks, primary treatment plants, and informal sanitation upgrades in dense localities like Satrasta and Paltan. Projects coordinate with flood management programs run by the Bangladesh Water Development Board and drainage initiatives drawn from the Dhaka Integrated Flood Resilience Project model. Sludge handling, fecal sludge management, and planned wastewater reuse initiatives have been piloted with support from entities such as the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and bilateral partners including JICA and the Department for International Development.

Challenges, Reforms and Development Projects

The authority faces challenges from rapid urbanization, aging networks, non-revenue water, groundwater depletion exacerbated by unregulated tube wells, and contamination risks tied to industrial effluents from zones like Narayanganj Industrial Area and Tongi-Bashundhara. Reforms target tariff rationalization, metering rollouts, anti-fraud enforcement aligned with the Anti-Corruption Commission (Bangladesh), and institutional strengthening supported by loan programs from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Major development projects include surface-water treatment expansions, sewerage master plans, and climate-adaptation investments coordinated with the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and international initiatives such as the Global Environment Facility. Ongoing stakeholder engagement involves civil society groups, municipal corporations, and research institutions including the Institute of Water and Flood Management to integrate resilience and equitable service delivery.

Category:Water supply and sanitation in Bangladesh Category:Organisations based in Dhaka