Water supply to many estates in the city is on Thursday being disrupted after Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) shut a major water pipeline on Mombasa Road.
Taps will be dry on Thursday and Friday due to the disruption occasioned by the ongoing construction of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport - Westlands Expressway.
According to Nairobi Water MD Nahashon Muguna, the shutting down of the pipeline will allow for linking of the new and old pipelines at the junction of Lang’ata and Mombasa roads.
This, he said, will allow easier construction of the section of the Nairobi Expressway between Nyayo Stadium and Isuzu East Africa.
The water cut will affect Nairobi West, South B, South C, Buruburu, Makadara, Hamza and Industrial Area.
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Also to be affected are areas around JKIA, City stadium, the standard gauge railway, Athi River Export Processing Zone, Coca Cola, Mukuru, Imara Daima, North Airport Road and Embakasi.
“NCWSC Ltd will shut down supply pipeline on Mombasa Road, starting Thursday 6am to Friday 6am. We appeal to our customers for indulgence and also urge them to use available water sparingly as we work towards restoring supply,” said a notice published in daily newspapers.
Many city estates already have to experience water rationing or zero water supply and have been forced to rely on water vendors and the current shortage will only make things worse.
Nairobians need 810 million litres of water each day but the installed production capacity is 550 million litres, with Ndakaini and Ng’ethu dams supplying only 480 million litres to Nairobi a day.
The shortfall is filled by water supplied by vendors in trucks and estate sellers, who many have accused of being part of the cartel that ensures water supply to several city estates is erratic.