Kiambu County has seven ongoing water and sanitation development projects that are set to improve water connectivity among residents.
The Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) Project Engineer Julius Serei, said the projects range from building of dams to rehabilitation of water treatment plants and piping network as well as sewers.
Speaking Tuesday during the Kiambu County Service Delivery Committee meeting when giving an update on water and sanitation projects in Kiambu town, Serei said the main water supply project is the Sh23.6 billion Karimenu II dam.
He added that the Karimenu II project included construction of a Sh70 million litre water treatment plant, laying of a 67 km raw and treated water transmission pipelines to Ruiru, Juja and Nairobi and is expected to serve one million people.
“Currently the project is at 95 percent completion and is expected to be finished by next month,” he added.
Serei explained that the Ruiru-Greater Githurai water project, which is funded by the German Development Bank (KfW), is set to be completed in June 2023.
The scope of the project, he said, covers the upgrading of Jacaranda water treatment plant from 15,000m3 per day to 28000m3 per day by expanding the intake pumping station and construction of a second treatment line.
He said there is also the construction of 13 km transmission mains from Jacaranda water treatment plant to Ruiru and Ruiru to Githurai (Kahawa Sukari) as well as laying a 140 km distribution network in greater Githurai area of Kiu, Kahawa Wendani and Kahawa Sukari which is at 77 percent completion and will cost Sh1.1 million.
He noted that sewerage projects such as the Kiambu and Ruaka water and sewerage works project have been funded by the African Development Bank (AFDB).
“There is an ongoing project to rehabilitate the existing Kiambu waste water treatment plant which entails construction of 108 km of trunk and the sewer pipeline network covering areas of Kiambu and Ruaka and the laying of a 25 km of high density polyethylene (HDPE) water distribution network which is expected to serve 95,000 people in Thindingua, Ndenderu, Kiamumbi town, Kirigiti, Ruaka and Muchatha,” he said
Other ongoing water and sewerage projects in the county include the Kikuyu water and sewerage project. The project will construct a 50 km trunk and sewer pipeline network as well as laying of 26 km high density polyethylene (HDPE) water distribution network. It is expected to serve 48,500 people in the Kidfarmaco area, Kikuyu town, Thogoto, Kamangu and surrounding institutions.
The other water and sewerage project, Limuru water and sewerage project, will include the rehabilitation of the existing wastewater treatment, laying of 35 km of extension sewers, 10 km of distribution network, drilling and equipping of six boreholes and elevated steel tanks.
The Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) a water resource and water sewerage service operating in Kiambu, Nairobi and Murang’a and serves 8 million people, has a bulk water production capacity of 664 million litres per day and a wastewater treatment capacity of 210 million liters per day in the three counties.
By Evalyne Kamau and Cedric Karungaru
