Nairobians to Experience Water Shortage as Rationing Kicks Off

Residents of Nairobi County should brace themselves for tougher times ahead of a scheduled water rationing programme by the main water supplier of the city; The Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company.

In a notice to the public, Nairobi Water Company disclosed that as a result of the delayed long rains, they decided to ration water in different areas within the county in a move to ensure that the precious resource serves Nairobians for a bit longer time.

According to the water company, water levels across the main suppliers of the city were reducing as days go by thus the decision to manage and ration water.

Ndakaini Dam is known to be the main supplier of water to Nairobi county together with Sasumua Dam, Kikuyu Springs, Thika and Chania B dams.

Nahason Muguna, the acting Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company managing director disclosed that water levels at Ndakaini Dam were currently at 44 percent full which translates to 31 million cubic meters.

“We have to depress production a bit. We must tighten the equitable distribution programme which we are using today for water to take us to October. For this water to take us to the short rains, we will be forced to reduce abstractions from the current 2.95 cubic meters per second to 2.0 cubic meters per second, “Muguna said.

Muguna said the Northern Collector tunnel, which will drain into Ndakaini, is  70 percent complete.

Some associated projects are at between 45 percent completion rate and others at 50 percent. The project is scheduled to be completed by September next year. The tunnel will bring an additional 140,000 cubic meters of water to the city.

He said with the reduction of abstraction, production will go down to 485,000 cubic meters per day which will force the company to strictly tighten the rationing programme.

Ndakaini dam manager Job Kihamba said the reservoir was at the same level as it was last year.

The Met Department on Monday said that most of the country will continue to be dry for the rest of this month.

In normal situations, May is the end of long rains season in most areas except the western region and the coastal strip where the rains can continue into early June.

Kenya has two rain seasons -the long rains season lasting March to May and the short rains from October to December. The Met says there may be little to no significant rainfall next month. This puts the city that is now grappling with a cholera outbreak between hard rock and a hard place.