• This financial year, Sh362 million was allocated for water and sewerage services.
• Upgrade expected to start in January will give Nairobi city at least 70 per cent sewer coverage focus on informal settlements.
Image: REUTERS
Thirty-year-old sewer lines in informal settlements will be expanded starting in January.
The rapid expansion of informal settlements without sewerage coverage has led to the disposal of human waste in the open.
We need to fast-track the expansion of sewer lines and deal with the leakages in some area.Governor Mike Sonko
As a result, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Monday met with his Cabinet and ordered that old sewer lines be fixed.
He said the sewer lines must be upgraded to reduce the problem of overloading that leads to leakage and burst sewers.
"We need to fast-track the expansion of sewer lines and deal with the leakages in some areas," Sonko said.
This financial year, Sh362 million was allocated for water and sewerage services. the project started in Savannah in mid-year.
Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company managing director Nahashon Muguna said the construction will start when the rains are over.
He said expansion of the Tasia-Fedha sewer line in Embakasi East is a high priority since the line is heavily overloaded with wastewater.
A new sewer line of 375mm put will be in place, from the current 225mm which runs from Tasia Tel Aviv gate to Fedha and Nyayo Estate in Embakasi East, Muguna said.
The Pipeline-Kware sewer line running from Imara Daima to Mukuru kwa Reuben and Kwa Njenga slums will also be upgraded.
Sewer line laid in 1980 , it has been punctured and destroyed by road construction and mushrooming of slums in neighbouring wards. Some leakages are caused by the ongoing road works.Nahashon Muguna, MD of NCWSC
Others are in Kawangware, Waithaka, Dagoretti, Kangemi, Zimmerman, Kasarani, Mwiki, Saika Kangundo Road, Mihang’o, Utawala and Ruai.
The upgrade will give Nairobi city at least 70 per cent sewer coverage.
Most sewer lines in the larger Embakasi area have been damaged by irregular construction.
"The sewer line was laid in 1980 and has been punctured and destroyed by road constructions and the mushrooming of slums in the neighbouring wards. Some of the leakages are caused by the ongoing road works," Muguna said.
Water executive Vesca Kangogo said the sewers were last upgraded in 1987 when the water supply production was 270,000 cubic metres per day.
"In 1997, the third Nairobi Water Supply Project was completed and added 255,600 cubic metres per day into the system but the sewers were not expanded accordingly to carry the extra wastewate," Kangogo said.
"Today, most of the sewers flow above half bore instead of below. Therefore, the sewer lines in the city are overloaded with wastewater besides the stormwater being directed into the same, worsening an already grave situation," Kangogo explained.
The county has said the rehabilitation of Outering Road has weakened the sewer lines, creating more leakages.
The grabbing of the riparian land has also been blamed. Houses are constructed below the sewer line so they cannot be connected to the sewer network, hence, they discharge directly into the rivers.
Edited by R.Wamochie