The Wajir Water department is conducting feasibility studies in Wajir North, South, West, East, Eldas and Tarbaj in a bid to desalinate water.
The project is done in partnership with Boreal Water Company and World Vision. The department intends to pilot desalination in two boreholes in each of the six subcounties using reverse osmosis. The department’s technical team, led by executive Elba Bashir, set off for the field on Wednesday to collect water samples from the identified boreholes.
Speaking during the trip, Bashir revealed that desalination machines will be commissioned after chemical and biological tests are carried out.
"The department has identified two water supply points in each subcounty, namely Burder and Diff in Wajir South, Hadado borehole 1 and Shandarua in Wajir West and Qarsa Jugala and War Adey in Eldas," the executive said.
Other identified boreholes are Riba and Boji-Garas in Wajir East, Danaba and Bosicha in Wajir North and Burmayo and Dambas in Tarbaj.
Residents expressed optimism the county will implement the project fully to benefit them. They have been buying drinking water from as far as Kiambu county and even Ethiopia.
“Under the leadership of Elba, we hope the department will do transparent and quality work for the people of Wajir,” Wajir town resident Yaqub Wardere said.
Musa Boke of Danaba in Wajir North said the programme was long overdue.
The project comes in the wake of the commissioning of a freshwater kiosk in Wajir town by Governor Mohamed Abdi last month. The kiosk uses the reverse osmosis system to provide clean and affordable drinking water. It can produce 2,000 litres of fresh water every hour.
During the launch of the solar-powered machine, the governor noted that water is not only a basic need but a fundamental human right that is supposed to be provided in the right quality, quantity and place.
He had urged Wajir Water and Sewerage Company (Wajwasco) to retail the freshwater at affordable prices. A 1.5-litre can of water normally retails at Sh50 in Wajir Town but Wajwasco plans to sell 20 litres for Sh100.
Edited by R.Wamochie