Hyacinth on Lake Victoria pushes up cost of treating water

The cost of water treatment has gone up due to hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria.

Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (Kiwasco) reported that water hyacinth, which is choking the lake, has led to poor quality of water and made production of the vital resource costly.

Speaking yesterday, Managing Director Thomas Odongo said the weed has led to limited oxygen in the water.

“As a result, we are forced to use more chemicals to treat water to recommended quality,” said Odongo.

Odongo said the water hyacinth had clogged the water intake points, forcing the company to device innovative methods of pumping the water to its treatment tanks.

“We have doubled the cost of production and we are also spending more on electricity to ensure our consumers do not lack water,” he said.

The director said water connections to consumers in Kisumu town and its environs stand at 82 per cent with plans to reach over 90 per cent in the coming years.

Odongo said the dry spell being experienced across the country had also affected water production.

Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathews Owili said the county was determined to ensure residents receive quality water.

“We are planning to sink more boreholes to supplement the piped water from the lake,” said Dr Owili. Kiwasco recently announced plans to connect water to people in low-income areas at no cost.