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No piped water in Mweiga

Countries
Kenya
Sources
Daily Nation
Publication date
Origin
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In Summary

  • The town has not had piped water for three weeks.

  • Residents are drawing untreated water from the nearby Honi River which could be contaminated.

Public Health officers have expressed fears of diseases outbreak following persistent water shortage in Mweiga town.

The town has not had piped water for three weeks.

Kieni West District public health officer Denis Murithi said the issue was critical as hotel operators, slaughter houses, butcheries and residents are drawing untreated water from the nearby Honi River which could be contaminated.

“We have a major challenge here of the water for use by residents. We’ve not had a drop of piped water for the past three weeks and we suspect that water from the river could be contaminated since there is no treatment plant here. It is a time bomb,” said Mr Murithi.

He said they had taken samples of the river water for testing and were awaiting results.

“If you go to the river, you’ll find donkeys and their carts and people all in the river from where the water is being fetched,” observed Mr Murithi.

He said they had talked to the municipal council who were initially in charge of the water supply. He said the municipal council had handed over the responsibility to the Nyeri Water and Sewerage Company (Nyewasco) who were in the process of laying new pipes to connect the town to piped water.

But the officer said he suspected there was sabotage from people who were peddling water in the area as pipes which had been laid last week were vandalized and stolen.

Mr Murithi added that the town was not connected to the main sewer line and water connection would also pose a challenge in the disposal of the additional amount of waste water.

He said Mweiga town should be connected to the main sewer line as soon as the water connection was completed.

Meanwhile, water vendors in the town are making a kill selling water from the nearby Honi River. A 20-litre container of water is selling at Sh20.

A water vendor Joshua Mogunde who was fetching water at the river using his donkey cart said they were afraid of drinking the water because even cars are washed in the river.