CORE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMPANY

The core activities of the company are:

  1. Supplying & distributing potable water and providing basic sanitation.
  2. Offering accompanying services such meter connection, meter calibration and servicing, repair or replacement of defective service lines.
  3. Billing for services offered and collection of revenue from customers.
  4. Carrying out preventive and corrective maintenance of water T/Works facilities and water distribution networks.
  5. Advising organized communal groups on good proposal writing for funding and supervising implementation and management of such projects.
  6. Compilation and submission of M&E reports to the County government and WASREB.
  7. Writing proposals for project funding by prospective development agencies.

  METERED WATER CONNECTIONS

All our customers are metered. Because demand for water far exceeds the production capacity at the Kiambere Water Treatment Plant, we supply water on rationing programme to ensure equitable distribution.

The customers are billed monthly and a disconnection exercise is carried out after a 10-day grace period from the date of the bill. Those who default are disconnected and fined Ksh. 500.00 reconnection fee.

In the event of disruption of water supply due to breakdown or any other cause, we notify our customers via written notices and SMSs.

WATER KIOSKS

The company operates 65 water kiosks through which non-metered water consumers buy water at 2/= per 20-litre jerrican. The opening hours are 7.00 AM in the morning to 5.30 PM in the evening.

WATER TRUCKING

We deliver water using water trucks to customers who need it in bulk or who are outside our distribution network. The price depends on distance covered (see attached water trucking schedule).

SANITATION SERVICES

We are keen to ensure access to basic sanitation by customers and especially those in low income areas. To this end, we made proposal for funding by the WSTF under UBSUP programme to upgrade basic sanitation in low income areas of Mwingi town. We also operate a public toilet based at Mwingi town.

BOREHOLES

KIMWASCO operated 4 boreholes – that is Ukasi, Kakunike, Kanzui and Tyaa Kamuthale.

WATER TARIFFS

The applicable water tariffs current are as shown in the attached tariffs schedule.

MAIN CHALLENGES

  1. NON-REVENUE WATER (NRW)

The company has a challenge of huge NRW currently standing at 41%. We have identified major causes of NRW as water theft through illegal connections, defective meters, pipe bursts & leakages. To address the problem, we have established a Non-Revenue Water Unit (NRWU) mandated with responsibility of dealing with the causes of NRW and reducing it to 20% in 3-year period. Some of the strategies for meeting this target are as follows:

  1. Impose heavy penalties on those found to have illegal connections.
  2. Have a policy of replacing meters after five years of use.
  3. Close control of quality of meters and materials used on water pipelines.
  4. Close monitoring and regulation of private Plumbers contracted by our customers to do Plumbing work.
  5. Close monitoring and supervision of our Plumbers and Meter Readers
  6. Prompt repair of leakages and bursts
  7. Have a policy of replacing old and dilapidated pipelines
  8. HIGH ELECTRICITY BILL

The Kiambere Water Treatment Works is a pumped system and therefore the average electricity bill is 3.5 million per month against average water sales of 3.5 million per month. This shows that the company cannot afford to pay electricity bills and has to depend on the County government to pay as it strives to meet the other O& M expenses.

The proposed strategies for dealing with this problem are:

  1. Prevail upon KPLC to offer subsidized electricity tariffs for pumped water supply systems to facilitate accessibility to safe drinking water to the by the majority poor.
  2. Install solar panels at Kiambere Treatment Plant as alternative source of power for running the plant.
  3. Identify and adopt energy saving methods of running the plant.