Private boreholes closed down

Water Resources Authority (WRA) has shut down 15 of the 17 private boreholes in Naivasha for allegedly supplying water that is unfit for human consumption.
WRA Authority sub-county manager Geoffrey Mworia said the boreholes had been licensed to provide water for domestic purposes but the owners converted them into commercial entities, selling contaminated water to unsuspecting members of the public.
“We have cases where the level of water fluoride from one of the boreholes is twenty times higher than the recommended standards from World Health Organization,” Mworia said.
He said the authority has issued a notice to the owners of the 15 boreholes that commercialized the sale of water, adding that stern action will be taken against those who fail to comply with the order.
Mworia added that they had arrested two suspects including a worker with a leading church and arraigned them in court for illegally operating the boreholes, warning that the crackdown will still continue.
“Majority of the borehole owners have license to operate as private installations but the owners have turned them into commercial use,” he said.
During the crackdown, residents of some estates mainly Site, Kabati and Lakeview were left without water for hours as the authority closed down the illegal boreholes.
However, Mworia assured the residents that water supplied by the Naivasha Water, Sewerage and Sanitation company was fit for human consumption and therefore no need for panic.
He said there was need for the water company to open up some water kiosks around the town so that area residents can get their supplies from the outlets to avert use of unfit water from the boreholes.
CEO Naivasha Professional Association (NPA) Absolom Mukuusi admitted that water quality in the town was wanting, noting that for years Naivasha residents have had issues with their teeth and bones and this has been caused by the high levels of fluoride in the water supplied to them.
By Esther Mwangi/Mercy Kihugu