Despite ongoing rains, Nairobi residents will still experience water rationing due to limited production capacity.
The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Limited (NCWSC) has stated that the city’s water treatment plants can only produce 525.6 million liters of water per day, while the demand is 870 million liters.
“We have to first treat the water from the dams before it gets to our taps. The water has to go through our water treatment plants that have a maximum production capacity of 525.6 million litres per day, against a demand of 870 million litres,” says Nairobi Water Managing Director Nahashon Muguna.
To address the water shortage, the National and County Governments are developing two major water projects: the Northern Collector Tunnel Phase I Water Project and the Karemenu Dam Project. Both projects are expected to increase the city’s water supply significantly.
The Northern Collector Tunnel Phase I Water Project is scheduled for completion in March 2024 and will add 140 million liters of water to the city’s daily supply. The Karemenu Dam Project is expected to be completed by the end of this year and will contribute an additional 23 million liters of water per day.
Once these two projects are completed, NCWSC expects that every customer will receive water at least thrice a week.Additionally, the National and County Governments have secured funding for the Northern Collector Tunnel Phase II Project, which is expected to bring an additional 120 million liters of water to Nairobi per day by 2026.
The development of the Maragua IV dam through Public Private Partnerships is also in the final stage of procurement and is expected to be completed in 2028. Once completed, the Maragua IV dam will boost the city’s water supply by an additional 130 million liters per day.
These projects are expected to significantly improve the water situation in Nairobi and alleviate the need for water rationing.
