Residents of Tetu constituency could have been drinking contaminated water since the 1970s, according to an audit report.
The report on Tetu Aberdare Water and Sanitation Company (TEAWASCO) for the year ended June 30, 2017 revealed that the company was using asbestos cement pipes to supply water in Tetu Thegenge area since 1975.
The chairman of the Public Investments Committee at the Nyeri County Assembly, Erastus Muriuki, tabled the report prepared by Auditor General Edward Ouko on the company’s operations.
The audit noted that TEAWASCO produced 3.7 million cubic metres of water, but only 2.3 million cubic metres were billed to customers.
This means 1.4 million cubic metres are lost in the system.
Burst pipes
The committee reported that the management attributed the loss to burst pipes in Tetu Thegenge area.
“The pipes are too old and they are dangerous to people's health,” the report noted.
The company management said that it had a proposal to seek funding from the county government to replace the pipes at a cost of Sh71 million.
Respiratory diseases
In the 1970s, asbestos was a common roofing material. Ceiling boards, floor tiles, laboratory cabinet tops, shingles, fire doors, and siding shingles were also made from asbestos.
Matters changed when it was discovered that inhaling asbestos fibres could cause respiratory diseases.
