Nairobi News

Nairobi residents will continue to spend more on water as the utility company said on May 5 that rationing will continue despite the recent overflowing of numerous dams across the country due to heavy rains.

The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Ltd (NCWSC) issued a statement informing residents that water rationing will continue as the company focuses on treating the still scarce water supply.

Managing Director, Engineer Nahason Muguna, said the equitable water distribution programme will ensure that customers receive water at least once a week and that the town is limited to the installed production capacity.

He explained that the county’s treatment plants, with a maximum production capacity of 525.6 million litres per day, are facing a significant demand of 900 million litres.
Although dams such as Kikuyu Springs, Ruiru, Sasuma and Thika Dam are overflowing, the treatment plants (Ngethu, Sasumua, Kabete and Kikuyu Water Treatment Works) have an installed maximum daily production capacity that limits water supply.

“Our water supply to the city is therefore limited to the installed production capacity. This means that even if our dams overflow, the water supply will remain constant. We cannot go beyond the installed production capacity,” he said.

The four have an installed maximum daily production capacity of 440 million, 61 million, 20 million and 4 million litres respectively.

“The ongoing flooding in the city has washed away some of the water supply pipes, affecting our services, resulting in some areas receiving low pressure water supply,” he added.

Affected areas include Fedha 1 Estate, Infinity Estate on Kangundo Road, Tumaini Estate, the whole of Tassia, Avenue Park 1 and 2, Nyayo Embakasi, Kware Road Area, Kwa Ndege, Lower Plot 10 and surrounding areas, Ngomongo, Korogocho, Matopeni-Kayole, Brookeside Grove Westlands, Wangapala and Iregi Roads – Parklands, Cotton Road and Dennis Pritt Road near Jacaranda, Kahawa Barracks and Kenyatta University.

To address the gap in the demand and supply of water, the National and County governments are developing the Northern Collector Tunnel Phase I Water Project which is due for commissioning in March 2024.

“The development is through Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA). It is expected to deliver an additional 140 million liters of water to the city per day.”

At the same time, the Karemenu Dam Project by AWWDA is in the final stages and will deliver 23 million liters of water per day by the end of this year.

“We expected that once the two projects are completed, every customer will receive water at least thrice a week,” Muguna added.

The National and County governments have secured funding of up to Sh15.3 billion for the development of the Northern Collector Tunnel Phase II Project in Murang’a to bring an additional 120 million liters to Nairobi per day by 2026.

While the city grapples with water shortages, the national government reported that ongoing floods have claimed the lives of at least 39 people have lost their lives in the city with thousands more affected by the floods.

The delicate balance between water scarcity and abundance underscores the challenges faced by Nairobi’s water management in the wake of unpredictable weather patterns.
City Hall’s County Emergency Response Committee on Saturday evening confirmed that two more lives had been lost in the last 24 hours due to floods.

Lydia Mathia, Chief Officer of Public Participation, Citizen Engagement, and Customer Service in a statement also noted that 20,968 households have been affected by the floods, displacing 147,061 people.
“Nairobi County is experiencing higher-than-expected long rains. This has led to flooding in most parts of the county, destruction of property, disruption of infrastructure, and increased risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases,” she stated.

Affected areas include Fedha 1 Estate, Infinity Estate on Kangundo Road, Tumaini Estate, the whole of Tassia, Avenue Park 1 and 2, Nyayo Embakasi, Kware Road Area, Kwa Ndege, Lower Plot 10 and surrounding areas, Ngomongo, Korogocho, Matopeni-Kayole, Brookeside Grove Westlands, Wangapala and Iregi Roads – Parklands, Cotton Road and Dennis Pritt Road near Jacaranda, Kahawa Barracks and Kenyatta University.

To address the gap in the demand and supply of water, the National and County governments are developing the Northern Collector Tunnel Phase I Water Project which is due for commissioning in March 2024.

“The development is through Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA). It is expected to deliver an additional 140 million litres of water to the city per day.”

At the same time, the Karemenu Dam Project by AWWDA is in the final stages and will deliver 23 million litres of water per day by the end of this year.

“We expected that once the two projects are completed, every customer will receive water at least thrice a week,” Muguna added.

The National and County governments have secured funding of up to 15.3 billion shillings for the development of the Northern Collector Tunnel Phase II Project in Murang’a to bring an additional 120 million litres to Nairobi per day by 2026.

While the city grapples with water shortages, the national government reported that ongoing floods have claimed the lives of at least 39 people in the city with thousands more affected by the floods.

The delicate balance between water scarcity and abundance underscores the challenges faced by Nairobi’s water management in the wake of unpredictable weather patterns.
City Hall’s County Emergency Response Committee on Saturday, May 4 evening confirmed that two more people had died in the last 24 hours due to floods.

Lydia Mathia, Chief Officer of Public Participation, Citizen Engagement, and Customer Service in a statement also noted that 20,968 households have been affected by the floods, displacing 147,061 people.

“Nairobi County is experiencing higher-than-expected long rains. This has led to flooding in most parts of the county, destruction of property, disruption of infrastructure, and increased risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases,” she stated.