The newly completed Makutano-Kenol water supply and sewerage project is set to benefit over 70,000 residents of Makutano, Wempa, Mareira, Karimamwaro, Gatanga, Kabati, Kenol, and Wangu towns.
The Sh1.2 billion project was commissioned in 2021 under the implementation of the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) and funded by the Government of Kenya in partnership with the African Development Bank (ADB).
The project scope included laying 32 kilometres of sewer lines and 195 kilometres of water lines and masonry water storage tanks.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the project, AWWDA CEO Eng. Joseph Kamau noted that the project was complete and is set to start operations under the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply to achieve reasonable standards of sanitation for the residents.
“The sewerage plant is also complete, and we are at the final inspection stage, after which it will be handed over to the water company (MUSWASCO) for operations and management,” he divulged, adding that, “the waste water treatment plant has the capability of treating 3000 cubic meters of wastewater per day, benefiting over 1000 households, which are expected to connect to the sewer line, thus contributing to a cleaner environment.”
Eng. Kamau noted that the connections are set to commence immediately and will be complete in two months’ time.
The project’s components also included the installation of a 17-kilometre trunk sewer pipeline and 15.5-kilometre pipes of reticulation sewers.
The wastewater plant comes as relief to Kenol and Kabati town dwellers as the sewer line will be connected to more than 1, 000 households from the towns which currently rely on septic tanks,” he stated.
According to him, the wastewater management plant is a game changer, as it will provide a good and hygienic waste management and sanitation system for the Kenol-Makutano urban areas.
“We have done a lot of water works upstream to ensure that water supply towards the town is down under the project, and now we are completing the wastewater treatment plant, which will largely serve the residents in Kandara and Maragua constituencies, as last-mile connections have already been done in Kenol to serve the people,” he noted.
AWWDA’s Eng. Dickson Nyongesa, explaining to KNA how the treatment will take place, said that after waste is received, it will undergo aerobic digestion without oxygen before undergoing the second stage, where aerobic digestion with oxygen will take place till the last stage in the maturity pods.
He cautioned residents against consuming the water immediately due to the presence of E. coli bacteria since the plant does not contain a stage where water is supposed to be treated with chlorine.
“However, after the treated water mixes with water in the river for a while, it becomes safe for consumption.”
Additionally, sludge produced from the biological process during the treatment will benefit farmers as they can use it as manure or fertiliser for their farms.
By Florence Kinyua