More than 70,000 residents of Kenol town and its environs in Murang’a county are set to benefit from a sewerage project that will boost wastewater management in the rapidly growing town.
The Kenol Makutano Waste Water Treatment Plant will have a 26km pipeline that will collect wastewater from estates in the town before draining it into the main trunk, a 7km pipeline that will channel it to the plant.
It’s part of a Sh1.2 billion water project being implemented by Athi Water Works Development Agency to connect thousands of residents of Kangari, Mariira, Karimamwaro, Kirimiri-Wempa and Gatanga with water.
Started in 2021, the project is funded by the national government in partnership with the African Development Bank.
Athi Water Works CEO Joseph Kamau on Tuesday confirmed that the plant is complete and set to be handed over to local water companies.
“We are doing the final inspections and expect it to be operational in about two months,” Kamau said, adding that it will be a game changer for residents who previously had to find their own ways of disposing wastewater.
The project is part of a 20-year masterplan and will have the capacity to process three million litres of water every day. It sits on a 15-acre land in Nanga area, Gatanga constituency.
“Kenol is a rapidly growing town producing a huge amount of wastewater but this plant will be able to handle it for decades and boost hygiene standards,” Kamau said.
Kenol town has for decades been grappling with water shortages that have forced residents to depend on water vendors and boreholes for the commodity despite being the fastest growing town in Murang’a county.
Without a proper sewerage system, many residents have been struggling with waterborne diseases that have been eating into their pockets and hampering their economic productivity.
Dickson Ongesa, an assistant director at Athi Water Works, explained that the facility will not affect the surrounding environment.
The wastewater will go through a series of physical and biological processes to remove pollutants before it is released back into the environment.
“The wastewater will be screened
for debris before going into the primary treatment that will include
breaking it down using anaerobic
bacteria. Afterwards, it will go into
facultative ponds where the water
will be treated aerobically,” the engineer said.
