City residents have been assured of enough water for the next three months, despite the expected dry weather.
The Met has said Nairobi and Central Kenya will not have heavy rains for three months.
Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company boss Nahashon Muguna said the Ndakaini Dam, the main water supplier,is 76.8 per cent full.
He said this is enough water to last the city up to the short rains in October, without more rationing.
He said at 76 per cent, the dam contains 53.7 million cubic metres of water. The dam has a storage capacity of 70 million cubic metres.
"The water will take us up to October, there is no cause for alarm," Muguna told the Star on the phone.
However, he said even if the dam was full, there would still not be enough water for all Nairobi residents because the demand outstrips the total supply.
The MD said the installed capacity is 525,000 cubic metres a day against a demand of 850,000 cubic meters a day, leaving a shortfall of 325,000 cubic metres a day.
Muguna said the usual water rationing within the city will continue to ensure all residents get water on specific days.
According to the 2019 census, Nairobi has a population of 4.3 million people and statistical projections estimate the number will hit 10 million by 2030, further straining the water supply
Ndakaini dam’s catchment area measures 75 square kilometres. It includes Kimakia and Gatare Natural Forests in the Aberdare Ranges.
The main rivers draining into the dam from are Thika, Githika and Kayuyu.
Muguna said the Sh6.8 billion Northern Water Collector Tunnel will not solve water shortages in Nairobi.
The Northern Collector Tunnel will add another 140,000 cubic metres per day to the current Ndakaini installed daily capacity.
Earlier this week, the new head of the Met department, David Gikungu, said Nairobi and Central Kenya catchment areas will not have heavy rains for the next three months.
Instead, these regions will be cool and cloudy with occasional light rains, until August.
Central Kenya, including the city, also may not experience the traditional, extremely cold June-July weather, because temperatures will be slightly elevated.
This is not unusual because the June-July-August season is not a rainy season in Kenya.
Dr Gikungu said, “Rainfall is normally concentrated over the Western region and the coastal strip during the June-July-August season, while the rest of the country remains generally dry.”
He said Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang'a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Nairobi counties may only have light rains in June.
“Occasional afternoon and night showers are also likely especially during the month of June. The total rainfall amounts during the period are likely to be close to the long term,” he said.
However, Gikungu said respiratory diseases like asthma, pneumonia, flu and the common cold are likely to increase in Nairobi county due to the expected cold conditions.
“Cases of malaria are also expected but this may not rise beyond normal transmission due to the predicted reduced temperatures during the season,” he said.
Gikungu said an assessment of the season from March 1 to May 26 showed the rainfall performance was below average over most parts of the country except Eldoret, Kisumu, Moyale, and Narok, which recorded near average rainfall.
“All the other stations recorded rainfall that was below 75 per cent of their March-May long-term means (depressed rainfall),” he said.
The official said the current drought in northern Kenya could worsen owing to the poor performance of the March-May rainfall season and the dry conditions expected over these regions in the next three months.
“Relevant authorities and humanitarian institutions are therefore advised to intensify the measures already put in place to avert loss of lives, livelihoods and livestock,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
“WATCH: The latest videos from the Star”