Urban waterscapes in developing world cities are notoriously fragmented, resembling archipelagos rather than continuous networks. Graham and Marvin’s concept of splintering urbanism links the collapse of infrastructure networks to this fragmentation. Yet this idea has been criticized for suggesting the absence of these networks is a sign of failed modernity in Southern cities such as Dar es Salaam. Urban political ecology illustrates how social, historical, political, and ecological processes work together to create uneven and unjust landscapes and waterscapes. In Dar es Salaam, the colonial policy of segregation and unequal service provision helped to create the fragmented system seen today. As a result, many residents—especially those in informal and peripheral areas—rely on heterogeneous water provision systems. These systems provide innovative ways to deliver water but do so at a high cost. This paper uses case studies of two informal areas—Buguruni and Vingunguti—to illustrate the divergent trajectories of seemingly similar places. One is more connected to the piped water network while the other relies almost exclusively on informal water delivery providers. In explaining these differences, this paper offers an intra-urban comparison that highlights inequities at a smaller scale. It also acknowledges the role of networked infrastructure in these heterogeneous systems by giving voice to residents who consider the piped water network their ideal source.