Abstract Inhabitants of sub‐Saharan Africa suffer disproportionately from lack of access to improved drinking water sources than the rest of the world. Previous studies have established capacity‐related success factors (or enablers) of infrastructure development projects, including drinking water supply. However, these enablers when not well established can also be indicators of risks to the sustainability and overall success of such water projects. The riskiness for success of a water project in Kassala, Sudan was assessed using the eight enablers, resulting in explicit documentation of capacity deficiencies, which may be considered as risk factors for the sustainability, and ultimately, the overall success of the water project. These capacity deficiencies may also serve as risk checklist for project managers and systems engineers involved in projects in similar environments.