Works on the 11.7km Northern Water Collector Tunnel in Murang'a county is 80 per cent complete with the project expected to be commissioned in June next year.
The Sh20 billion World Bank-funded project is being undertaken by the Athi Water Services Board and is meant to increase water volume at Ndakaini Dam by about 140,000 cubic meters daily.
The dam is the major source of water for the capital Nairobi.
An engineer with the Athi Water Services Board Alphaxard Kitheku on Friday said the contractor is currently working to complete lining of the tunnel after completion of excavation works.
He was speaking to the Murang’a County Development Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC).
The tunnel is designed to draw water from three rivers–Irati, Maragua and Gikigie within Murang’a county.
Kitheku said construction of two intake weirs at Maragua and Irati is ongoing whereas the third intake at River Gikigie will commence early next year.
“Construction of Irati River intake is 98 per cent complete and Maragua River intake weir is at 20 per cent,” he said.
The project was expected to be completed in December but works have delayed.
The engineer said the construction of raw and treated water transmission pipelines from Ndakaini Dam to Kirogo water treatment plant and to Nairobi was ongoing.
He said 15.5 kilometres out of 54 kilometres of pipes have been laid.
“The project aims at conveying the raw water from Ndakaini to the treatment plant and treated water from the plant to Gigiri reservoirs in Nairobi."
He further noted that laying of the pipes, especially between Ndakaini Dam and the plant has faced obstacles as some families objected the compensation given.
“A family moved to court to block the construction works and the matter is still pending although we are still proceeding with the works as no injunction was given to halt the works,” the engineer added.
Kitheku said AWSB is employing the necessary intervention to see that the project is completed and operationalised by mid-next year.
Edited by R.Wamochie
