Mauritius 'Plan Marshall' for Water: One Year On, What's Changed?

When the Mauritian government unveiled its so-called 'Plan Marshall' for water security in October 2025, it came with sweeping promises: mobile filtration units, new pipelines, steel mini-reservoirs, 9,000-litre tanks for drought-prone zones, and an extra 65,000 cubic metres of water injected into the national network every day. A desalination plant was described as 'under serious consideration.' A year on — and roughly halfway through the government's term — the key question is: what has actually changed at the tap for ordinary Mauritians? **What Was Promised** Minister of Energy and Public Utilities Patrick Assirvaden announced the plan ahead of its formal adoption by Cabinet in October 2025. It was built around six pillars, covering everything from infrastructure upgrades to reducing so-called 'non-revenue water' — industry jargon for water that is produced and pumped through the system but lost to leaks, illegal connections, or metering failures before it ever reaches a paying customer. The plan was the government's direct response to a deepening water crisis that has seen residents across the island endure scheduled cuts, sometimes lasting many hours a day. The Central Water Authority (CWA) — the state body responsible for water production and distribution in Mauritius — has long struggled with an ageing pipe network and high rates of water loss. **What Has Happened Since** According to progress updates released since the plan's adoption, the most concrete action taken so far falls under the first pillar: tackling non-revenue water. The CWA has launched a programme to replace 114 kilometres of pipes — a significant but still partial step given the scale of the network's deterioration. However, on most other fronts, the picture is one of commitments rather than completed works. The mobile filtration units, the mini-reservoirs, the large-scale increase in daily water supply, and the desalination feasibility — all featured prominently in the original announcements — have yet to produce visible, measurable results at household level. **What This Means for Residents** For Mauritians still facing water rationing — particularly in drier regions of the island — the mid-term review of the Plan Marshall is sobering. The ambition was real, but translating infrastructure pledges into reliable daily supply takes time, funding, and execution capacity that has historically been a weakness for the CWA. The desalination question is especially important for long-term water security. Mauritius depends heavily on rainfall and surface reservoirs, making it vulnerable to drought years. A functioning desalination plant would reduce that dependence, but no firm construction timeline has been announced. Opposition politicians and civil society groups are likely to use the slow progress as ammunition ahead of the next electoral cycle, while the government will point to pipe replacement works as evidence that the plan is moving forward — just not at the pace originally implied. **What to Watch** Key indicators to track include: the pace of pipe replacement beyond the initial 114 km; any formal decision on a desalination plant; whether the promised 65,000 m³ daily increase materialises; and whether scheduled water cuts become shorter or less frequent in historically affected areas such as the south and west of the island. Source: ION News