The case for non-revenue water: Kenya

Abstract

It is clear that cities might eventually run dry if they do not plan their water resources and requirements effectively. A recent case being Cape Town, South Africa. Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company on the Eastern part of Africa run water and sewer services for Nairobi Kenya and majorly depends on Ndakaini dam as its main water source. The dam’s water level has constantly been running low from 2016 to 2017 due to effects of drought. In early 2018, the levels had lowered to alarming rates leading to frequent rationing. Increased population due to rural urban migration has also increased domestic water requirements. Drought and population however may not be the only contributors to frequent water rationing in the cities. Other towns are also experiencing perennial water rationing due to the low efficiency of the water utilities supplying the water to the consumers. This inefficiency consequently reflects in increased non-revenue water (NRW) levels. NRW is known to be a big determinant of the sustainability of any given water utility and hence high NRWs reflect low efficiency and low creditworthiness index.