• Project to include automated payment of water bills, meter reading and disconnections amongst other functions.
• The Northern collector tunnel project will increase the water supply to Nairobi by 140 million litres per day.
The National Government plans to spend Sh18 billion on the renewal of water infrastructure and sewers extension in Nairobi.
According to the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, the acquisition of funds was part of the interventions to improve water supply embarked on by the city water firm in liaison with the office of the President through Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and the office of the African Union High representative for infrastructure development.
The targeted areas include Waithaka, Kasarani, Embakasi, Kangemi, Kawangare and Riruta.
Nairobi Water Board of Directors Chairperson Beryl Okumu Odinga noted that the firm had commenced on the automation and use of modern technology to change numerous functions of its operations.
This includes automated payment of water bills, meter reading and disconnections amongst other functions.
“Revamping of communications between the firm and its clients is also ongoing not forgetting the renewal of water pipes infrastructure which is quite old in all the old Nairobi estates,” Okumu said on Sunday.
NCWSC has also made an effort to ensure that the low income and vulnerable people in informal settlements get easy access to water amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have also moved to ensure that water is easily and seamlessly availed to our low income and vulnerable people. We are already giving free water through tankers and boreholes,” Okumu said.
Despite increasing water supply in informal settlements, NCWSC is looking forward to the completion of the Northern collector tunnel project which is currently under construction.
Once complete, the project will increase the water supply to Nairobi by 140 million litres per day.
The water will supply an additional 1.2 million city residents.
Currently, water supply is 35 per cent less than the overall demand which has led to water rationing.
Nairobi has faced a serious water crisis since January 2017, when water levels at the Ndakaini Dam dropped below the anticipated levels.
Ndakaini produces 430,000 cubic metres of water a day, which is about 84 per cent of supply to Nairobi and holds about 70,000,000 cubic metres when full.
Other measures instituted by NCWSC include re-engineering of the firm’s organizational structure and work processes within the next 180 days to offer better services and reduction of non-revenue water from the current 36 per cent to at least 25 per cent.
Last year, City hall had indicated that Nairobi loses Sh3.7 billion annually in non-revenue water (water produced but lost through leakage or theft). This is 40 per cent of the capital city's total water supply.
The main areas that were affected by non-revenue water Huruma, Ngei, Pangani, Mwiki, Clay City Kasarani, Maji-Mazuri Kasarani, Githurai 44 and Zimmerman estates.
NCWSC is also focusing on eradication of water cartels since they are now fully in charge of monitoring water bowsers and wastewater exhausters in conjunction with the Athi waterworks Development Agency.
Last week, the firm introduced new regulations for the certification of water bowsers and exhausters and meant to control the beneficial water distribution business in the Capital that had been cartel-swamped.
As part of the new measures, owners of the water tankers/bowsers will also be required to provide a quality certificate indicating the source of water from a government certified laboratory.
On top of that, the water bowser tank should be painted sky blue and have the interior lined with food bitumen.