Some 1 billion are denied the right to clean water and 2.6 billion lack access to adequate sanitation. Every year 1.8 million children die as a result of diarrhea and other diseases as a result of unclean water and sanitation. 58% of the rural population and 15% of the urban population in Tanzania do not have access to protected water sources. (GoT) Despite the scarcity of water 80% of the population, nonetheless depend upon the resource for subsistence farming.  Despite the effects of high infant mortality, AIDS, and a life expectancy of no more than 50, the population is still on the increase, placing a greater burden on existing water sources.
On average women and children spend over two hours a day collecting water while journeys of six to seven hours are not unusual in areas on the central plateau. Consequently the unavailability of water resources has a knock on effect on school attendance and educational performance.
In 2003 I reported on Water and Sanitation projects in Central Tanzania for the BBC and WaterAid, an NGO focused on the working to improve water and sanitation coverage through the development world.  Working within the rural communities that surround Dodoma, a region with particularly low water access, a series of diesel engines and pumps where installed to bring clean water supplies to rural population centres from newly accessed deeper boreholes within the district.  A valuable contribution towards the improvement of public health services in region, its sustainability was nevertheless dependant upon the improvement of health and sanitation education and associated technical training in the overall project design.