Fears of disease outbreaks have hit several estates in Naivasha following an acute shortage of water for the last three months.
Residents of County Council, Kabati and Site estates have now been forced to seek water from boreholes and water vendors as the crisis deepens.
This comes as Naivasha Water and Sanitation company blamed a contractor working on rehabilitation of some roads for damaging water pipes.
Local leader James Kariuki said the three estates that harbour hundreds of residents–the majority being flower farm workers–had been forced to incur additional losses buying the commodity.
"Water vendors who use donkeys are making a kill charging exorbitant prices," he said.
He said the problem had been compounded by the water company issuing water bills for nothing supplied.
“Despite the acute shortage, the water company has continued to serve us with inflated bills and we are asking the governor to intervene,” he said.
Resident Sally Muthoni called on the county government to intervene and have water connections redone.
The water once costing Sh10 for a 20-litre jerrycan has now doubled and rises according to the storey you live on, she said.
Speaking on the phone, company CEO Eng Nahashon Wahome said their pleas to the contractor to rectify the broken pipes had fallen on deaf ears.
He said they had taken the contractor to court to be compelled to repair the water pipes mainly in Site and County Council estates.
“The contractor is carrying out rehabilitation of these estate roads but he is destroying everything that we have put in place forcing us to incur huge losses,” Wahome said.
They have written to the company on severally but there was no positive response, the CEO said.
“We have instructed our lawyers to seek orders from the court over the water loss and to make sure the contractor is compelled to pay for the damage he has caused."
Edited by R.Wamochie
