Embu town’s sewer expansion to improve sanitation standards

Embu town’s sewerage system is set for expansion.

The project will see about 5,000 more households connected to the sewer line.

The Embu Water and Sanitation Company (Ewasco) said the project would improve sanitation in the town and its environs.

It will include construction of 35 kilometres of sewers of various sizes, a plant with a capacity to treat 3,200 cubic metres of waste water per day and 1,000 manholes.

Ewasco embarked on the project after securing a Sh450 million loan guaranteed by the World Bank.

Ewasco Operations Manager Christopher Kamuruana said 70 per cent of the work had been completed and the new sewerage would be ready by January.

“Once completed, the new system will help landlords who have been using septic tanks to dispose of sewage and incurred expenses to have it removed by exhausters,” said Mr Kamuruana.

Financial prudence

If the company showed high levels of workmanship and financial prudence, and observed timelines, the World Bank would subsidise the loan by Sh270 million, said Ewasco MD Hamilton Karugendo.

He added that the subsidy would be ploughed back to expand the Mukangu water treatment plant to raise the company’s capacity to supply more water. Currently, only 170,000 of 207,000 residents are supplied.

Sewage disposal has been a nightmare to landlords at Blue Valley, Dallas and Majimbo estates for many years.

Landlords direct the effluent into septic tanks and hire exhausters to empty them at a cost of between Sh5,000 and Sh10,000 every three months.

In some cases, some landlords hire youths to scoop up the waste using buckets, then bury it.

Other than the high costs, this means of disposing of the waste of is cumbersome and risky to the health of residents.