Newly completed Sh1.2 billion Makutano –Kenol water project to benefit over 70,000 residents
Florence Kinyua-KNA
The newly completed Makutano-Kenol water supply and sewerage project will 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 of 32 kilometers of sewer lines and laying of 195 kilometers 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 is complete and is set to start operations under the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply Program 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.
“The waste-water treatment plant has capability of treating 3,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day benefitting over 1000 households which are expected to connect to the sewer line, thus contributing to a cleaner environment,” he said.
Eng. Kamau noted that the connections are set to commence immediately and will be complete in two months’ time.
The projects’ components include installation of a 17-kilometer trunk sewer pipeline and 15.5-kilometer pipes of reticulation sewers.
The wastewater plant comes as a 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 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 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 process will benefit farmers as they can use it as manure or fertilizers for their farms, he said.