The CS Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Hon. James Macharia, EGH inspected the Karimenu II Dam and the Northern Collector Tunnel projects in Kiambu and Muranga counties.
Residents of Ruiru, Juja, Gatundu, Nairobi, and its environs are set to benefit from improved and sustained water supply following the near completion of Karimenu II Dam Water Supply and the Northern Collector Tunnel Phase 1.
Already, Karimenu II Dam has started to fill up and is expected to be completed by May 2022, benefitting more than one million residents of Juja, Gatundu, and Nairobi. The key project will supply 70 million litres of clean water per day.
Karimenu II Dam Water Supply project consists of a 59-meter high dam, 70 million litres per day water treatment plant, two water storage reservoirs in Juja and Ruiru with the capacity to store 23.5 million and 5 million litres of clean water respectively.
Another flagship project expected to improve the water supply for Nairobi is the Northern Collector Tunnel Phase 1 (NCT1) which will provide an additional 140 million litres of clean water per day. This is a unique project that entailed the construction of an underground tunnel of length 11.8 km collecting runoff water from rivers Maragua, Gikigie, and Irati in Muranga and storing it in Ndakaini Dam. The project which is part of the larger fourth Nairobi Water Supply is expected to be completed by 31st July 2022, other projects include Kigoro Water Treatment Plant which is complete and raw and treated water pipelines to Kigoro and Gigiri respectively.
Nairobi’s water demand currently stands at 810 million litres per day against a supply of 550 million litres per day with a deficit of 260 million litres. The NCT 1 project provides an additional 140 million litres per day to the existing water distribution network reducing the deficit by almost half, to put it into perspective, if you are supplied clean water twice a week in Nairobi after completion of NCT 1 you will receive water four times a week.
The CS was accompanied by Principal Secretary Dr. Eng. Joseph Njoroge, CBS, Water Secretary Eng. S.A.O Alima, County Commissioner Karuku Mugo, AWWDA CEO Eng. Thuita Mwangi among others.