The Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company Limited (ELDOWAS) has announced an interruption of water supply to its customers due to planned mass testing and calibration of its water meters.
According to a public notice signed by Eldowas Managing Director Peter Kibet Arap Biwott, the testing and calibration of the water meters are aimed at ascertaining their performance.
Water meters that will be found to be faulty will be phased out.
“This is to notify our esteemed customers that the company is planning to carry out mass testing/calibration of all water meters in the company service areas with the objective of ascertaining their performance in terms of precision and accuracy with the primary aim of phasing out aged and faulty ones in the system,” read part of the notice.
The Eldowas MD says the exercise will take at least four hours.
During the period, a single meter will be undergoing testing and calibration, customers will be without a water supply.
“The exercise is anticipated to take at least four (4) hours immediately the meter is withdrawn from the customers’ premise and there-after the meter will be reconnected immediately the calibration/testing process is completed,” Biwott said in the notice.
The exercise is planned to be rolled out beginning 14th March 2022 and will be continuous until all the water meters in the Eldowas service area are tested/calibrated.
“We apologize for the inconveniences that will be caused,” said the MD.
Calibration and testing of all water meters are part of Eldowas’ efforts to seal loopholes contributing to the massive loss of water.
The company estimates that it loses up to 8 million liters of water daily due to illegal connections and spillage caused by the breakage of water pipes.
This translates to about Ksh500 million annual loss.
Eldowas recently launched an initiative dubbed ‘Linda Maji Mtaani’ aimed at sensitizing locals on the need to conserve water and reporting cases of locals and companies involved in illegal connections.
The company produces over 42 million liters of water daily, against a demand of 60 million liters every day. The huge deficit is what has been attributed to be the reason behind regular water rationing that Eldoret town locals who depend on Eldowas water have to live with.