In a bid to address rising water losses, the Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (Eldowas) has launched an initiative that seeks to reward members of the public.
Under the initiative, an individual who helps to identify illegal water connections is rewarded Ksh2,000.
This follows a concern that the company was losing too much water to illegal water connection and spillage that result from the breakage of water pipes.
Eldowas Managing Director Peter Biwott said the company has been losing up to Ksh500 million annually, due to the water loss.
“Those who tell us those who are doing these illegal connections, we will reward them with Ksh2,000 so that they can be able to appreciate their efforts,” Biwott said.
The Eldowas MD has also cautioned that individuals found involved in illegal water connections will face the full force of the law.
He also asked members of the public to be cautious when undertaking their daily activities to avoid destroying water pipes.
According to Eldowas MD, some of their water pipes are destroyed due to the farming activities of some members of the public.
“If you vandalize a pipe or you destroy it, there is a penalty to that and we are calling on all Kenyans or residents to tell us those people who do that so that we can take legal action against them,” said Peter Biwott.
He has advised residents to consult them whenever they come across water pipes in their farms or during any other activity, to avoid causing further losses.
Due to water losses, Eldowas is usually forced to ration water to its customers in a bid to ensure all benefits from the commodity.
Currently, the demand for water in Eldoret town is at 60 million liters per day, against a production capability of 43 million liters.
However, of the water produced by Eldowas, 18 million is lost on a daily basis to illegal connections and spillage.
