Thika Water and Sewerage Company (Thiwasco) is working on a programme to connect more residential houses to sewer lines in Thika, Weitethie and Kiganjo estates to improve sanitation and make the suburbs more habitable.
Thiwasco managing director Moses Kinya said the programme, dubbed the last-mile connectivity, will seek to bring on board areas and houses not connected to sewer lines into the system.
While noting that only 40 percent of houses in these areas have been connected to the sewerage system, Kinya said through the programme, more sewer lines are being dug and connections made to bring every house on board.
He said they are working with development partners to increase the areas under sewerage connectivity and called on those not connected to sewer lines to fast-track connections by taking advantage of the programme.
“We have done a lot in sewerage connectivity especially in the upcoming estates of Weitethie and Kiganjo. We are also doing the last-mile connectivity to bring on board residential houses left without sewer connection,” Kinya said.
He was speaking during a tree-planting exercise at the company’s sewerage treatment site at Kangoki area in Thika town.
Besides, he said, they have streamlined exhauster services in areas that lack the sewer network as they work on how to have the areas connected to the sewer lines.
“Once you have a sewer pipeline passing close to your house, contact the company so that we can connect you. This will ensure more people are brought on board and that we keep the environment clean. On the exhauster services, we have streamlined them and given them emptying areas at the sewer treatment plant,” he said.
Apart from the Kangoki site, the MD said they are in the process of constructing other sewerage treatment plants to effectively handle increased waste production in the area.
The plants, being done by development partners, will be at Pilot and Kilimambogo estates and will help increase sewerage connection by 7,000 cubic metres (7 million litres) of sewer collection per day.
They will help in generation of electricity alongside other mini hydro-generation plants to reduce internal power consumption which the MD revealed during a stakeholders meeting was at 19 percent of their revenue.
More electricity, he said, will also be generated through bio-digesters.
By Muoki Charles
