Eldoret losing Sh1bn monthly to illegal water connections

Residents of Eldoret town are facing acute water rationing as the firm mandated to oversee distribution loses an estimated 18 million litres daily due to illegal connections.

The losses amount to between Sh500m and Sh1 billion monthly.

The rapidly growing North Rift town requires an estimated 60 million litres of water per day against the current production of 43 million litres daily.

According to Peter Biwott, the Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (Eldowas) managing director, the illegal connections had resulted in acute water rationing in the town with most residents getting the commodity only two to three times a week.

“Water has become scarce in our town where most residents are not able to access the commodity throughout the week even during the rainy season. We are going to work with the enforcement team and county government to curb these illegal connections,” said Mr Biwott, during the launch of Linda Maji Mtaani initiative meant to curb illegally connected water or non-billed water.

Currently, some of the estates within the town and its environs are facing an acute shortage, as the firm is seeking to automate new connections, upgrade water pipelines and introduce smart meters to boost efficiency and alleviate the situation.

“Our clients will be able to apply water connection online to minimise customer-staff interaction.  Within the next six months to one year, we want to reduce non-revenue water from 42 percent to 30 percent (the country benchmark according to Vision 2030 is 25 percent),” he added.

He noted some commercial businesses and farms have illegal water connections which result in water wastages.

Uasin Gishu County has been upgrading the roads and other infrastructural development within the town to meet the requisite conditions set for it to attain city status.

Sprawling estates

“If we curb these illegal water connections, the company will be able to recoup between Sh500m to Sh1 billion in terms of revenue. Our sewerage connection stands at 30 percent, we are aiming to reach 70 percent. If we are able to recoup these losses, the company will be able to expand the sewerage system and also water connection from 30 percent to 100 per cent,” added Mr Biwott.

As per the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, Eldoret is the fifth most populated urban area in the country after Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Ruiru with 475,716 residents.

The devolved unit is also banking on the Kipkaren and Two Rivers Dam water projects, currently under construction and undertaken by the national government in collaboration with the county government to plug the water deficit in the town.

“The Kipkaren water project will supply the 20 million litres daily upon its completion of the project.  The Two Rivers dam will also sort the town’s water needs within the next two to three years,” said Mr Biwott.

Recently, Water county executive Mary Njogu said that the devolved unit has embarked on connecting sprawling estates of Langas among others to its main Kipkenyo sewerage plan.

“We do not have any crisis. In fact, we have not utilised and currently, we are trying to do connections so that the existing one can be utilised fully. We are targeting the upcoming estates like Langas, Kipkorgot and other areas,” said Ms Njogu.

The county, she said, has two sewer systems.

For the residents in Kimumu and its environs, the devolved unit is planning to build a sewerage system because the slope does not favour them in using the existing ones.

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