Nakuru county government is investing Sh316 million towards extending and rehabilitating existing water networks that will help in addressing the long standing water shortages in the County.
The water project that is set to benefit over 100,000 households living within the Nakuru City, is also expected to reduce high water losses and leakages due to old pipelines, while at the same time increasing access of the precious commodity to low-income areas of Rhonda, Kaptembwa, Mwariki, Manyani and Githima Estates.
According to Governor Susan Kihika, the Nairobi Road Wellfield water project, which is expected to reduce the Nakuru daily water deficit tremendously, is being achieved through implementation of various components.
Kihika said the major component of the project being implemented by the Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company (NAWASSCO) with support from the World Bank-funded Water Sector Trust Fund Conditional Liquidity Support Grant II (CLSG II), will entail the drilling and equipping of 10 new boreholes that will yield an estimated 21,600 cubic metres of water per day.
The governor explained that the 10 new boreholes will raise NAWASSCO’s daily production from the current 40,000 cubic metres of water to 61,600 cubic metres, against a demand of between 70,000 and 80,000 cubic metres.
Speaking when she made an impromptu inspection of ongoing works on the project, Kihika pointed out that other components of the project involved automation of three wellfields and replacement of over 10,000 old customer meters with smart meters to curb non-revenue water.
Non-Revenue Water (NRW) refers to water lost through illegal connections, inefficient, or rundown supply infrastructure and malfunctioning meters. Water Services and Regulatory Board (WASREB) defines levels of NRW of under 20 per cent as good, 20-25 as acceptable and over 25 per cent as not acceptable.
A Non-Revenue Water (NRW) audit revealed that Nawassco, Nakuru Rural Water and Sanitation Company Limited (Naruwasco) and Naivasha Water and Sanitation Company Limited (Naivawasco) lose more than half of their treated drinking water to leaks, theft and meter inaccuracies, resulting in monthly losses of over Shs40 million and scarcity of the commodity.
The governor pledged that the project expected to be operational within three months will ease persistent water rationing and improve reliability of services in Nakuru CBD, Freehold, Shabab, Race Track, Industrial Area and London estates.
She added that Kiamunyi Estate, which has never had a public water service provider network will now receive about 3,000 cubic metres of water daily, once the Trust Fund Conditional Liquidity Support Grant II project becomes operational.
Kihika outlined healthcare, water provision and enhanced food security through support of the agricultural sector as key achievements made by her administration.
The governor said as the county endeavors to achieve the right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities, there was need to recognize and implement the requirements of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Article 43 (1), (b), (c), (d), which guarantees provision of reasonable standard of sanitation, freedom from hunger, and safe water in adequate quantities.
She stated that residents of Nakuru are set to benefit from enhanced access to clean and improved sanitation services after the devolved unit channelled more resources towards expansion of the water and sewage system.
The devolved unit has also secured a deal to expand the water and sewerage infrastructure through a Sh5.6 billion grant from the German Development Bank via a project dubbed the ‘The Lake Nakuru Biodiversity Conservation Project,’ which will start in a couple of months.
Kihika disclosed that her administration had expanded its water network by 488 kilometers, over the past year after completion of 132 water projects, allowing 17,070 additional households to access clean drinking water, adding that as a result access to clean water has risen from 59.2 per cent to 62.33 per cent.
Kihika pointed out that 72 boreholes were drilled and more than 90 equipped, while an additional 92 boreholes had been solarized to reduce electricity costs.
“Sanitation is also improving in Flamingo, Kabati, Paul Machanga and the Barnabas, Mwariki B and Neylan area, where sewer expansions will benefit more than 17,000 residents. A new Sh70 million drilling rig acquired by my administration will also help the county drill about 130 more boreholes next year,” she stated.
One of the highlights of the mega sewer system expansion project will be the decommissioning of the 63-year-old Kaloleni Waste Water Treatment Plant, which will be phased out and its waste directed to the upgraded Njoro Treatment Works, which has the capacity to process 20,000 cubic meters of water per day.
Kihika affirmed that while the projects involved expanding the water supply network and upgrading the aged water supply and dilapidated sewerage treatment system, they were also focusing on cleaning of water flowing into Lake Nakuru.
This, she said, was aimed at safeguarding the water body from pollution by preventing untreated water from flowing into it to secure the Lake’s delicate ecosystem and biodiversity.
Additionally, some 14 water kiosks have been constructed, and 7 natural springs protected, while another 11 boreholes were restored to functionality, providing reliable water for an estimated 6,000 residents.
To improve sanitation, Kihika said they had rehabilitated and connected 66 toilet blocks to the sewerage line at Flamingo Ward within Nakuru East Sub-County bringing relief to over 300 residents.
In Naivasha’s Kabati area, the county completed a one-kilometre sewer line and 200 household connections.
She said further works included 300 metres of new sewer lines in Paul Machanga Estate and 1.45 kilometres of sewer extensions in USAID, TPH, and Agape estates, collectively improving sanitation reliability for more than 300 households,” she stated.
Among the key sanitation projects underway are the Barnabas–Mwariki B and Neylan sewer developments, which will provide safer wastewater management for nearly 17,000 residents.
On the water supply front, major investments are ongoing in Longonot, Kamuyu, Muciringiri, Upper Mirera and Bahati, where communities have faced chronic shortages.
Kihika cited the Chemususu Water Project, set to serve 60,000 residents, noting completion of the 41-kilometre Emkwen–Mogotio–KoiSamo line and progress on Nguso Rafiki, Molo lines.
To improve water project managements, the governor pointed out that they were transferring community water projects to Water Service Providers (WSPs), owned by the devolved unit, namely Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company (Nawassco), Nakuru Rural Water and Sanitation Services Company (Naruwasco) and Naivasha Water and Sanitation Services Company (Naiwascco)
She said the aim was to enhance efficient operations of water projects and minimize interruptions associated with community water projects.
The Water Service Providers have since taken over management of Kabatini, Limuko and Amos water projects in Bahati and Mzee Nyama water project in Nakuru East.
The Lake Nakuru Biodiversity Conservation Project’ will encompass increasing water supply through new boreholes, rehabilitation of water reticulation systems and revitalization of pipelines, optimization of existing well fields and construction of water reservoirs.
The five-year project will be implemented by the Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency jointly with the Nakuru County Government.
The governor said her administration intended to expand the sewerage system to various estates in Nakuru city, which had for long been relying on alternative methods of waste disposal including septic tanks.
She said expansion of the over 60-year-old sewerage system will come as a relief to residents, who for decades have had to contend with a dilapidated system, already bursting under pressure due to population growth.
Only Milimani, Langa Langa, London, the town centre, Racecourse and Freehold estates have access to sewerage services.
A significant number of estates in the city including posh ones, are not linked to the sewer system. They include Bismarck, Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI), Kiamunyi and Ranges View, which adjoins the affluent Milimani.
Others that are not connected to the main sewer line include Ngata, Mwariki, Baruti, Langa Langa and the informal settlements of Kivumbini, Lake View, Kwa Rhoda, Kaptembwa, Kaloleni and Bondeni.
Residents in these estates rely on septic tanks. When their septic tanks are full, they hire exhausters, which charge between Sh2,000 and Sh3,000 per trip to take out their waste to the main sewer treatment plant.
Kihika observed that the upgrade of the sewerage system is set to reduce the impact of overloading that leads to leakages, adding that since Nakuru had attained city status, sanitation had to be given top priority in terms of having clean water and a proper sewerage system.
Under the project, the devolved unit will revamp the sewage system to increase its coverage in Nakuru East, Nakuru West and other areas that were incorporated into Nakuru city.
By Esther Mwangi
