Government loses Sh10b in unpaid water bills

The government has been losing close to Sh10 billion in unpaid water revenue every year, Water Principal Secretary Paul Rono disclosed yesterday.

 As a result of this loss, the government has been sluggish in payment of loans secured to establish water infrastructure, Rono stated.

“Due to technical and commercial hitches, we have been losing money since it has been very hard for both the national and county governments to know how much water has been utilised per day by individuals and organisations and how much of it has been paid for because of leakages and wrong metering,” he said.  To counter the menace, the PS said the government has licensed Athi Water Works Development Agency to be a bulk water distributor in a new bid to improve water distribution and management across the country.

 The development, he added, will reduce losses in revenue that the government has been incurring as a result of nonpaid water by a section of consumers.

 “Our new model will manage the water from the start to the end user using technology across water management,” said Rono.

 He also urged both levels of government to install smart metering systems in all water distribution channels to enable tell how much water is utilised per day.

 Rono was speaking during a stakeholder’s forum organized by Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) in Ruiru, Kiambu County and attended by representatives from water service providers from the region.

 In the new arrangement, Athi Water Company will be responsible for managing the Karimenu II Dam, water treatment plant, and water transmission pipelines to the respective water service providers, and a smart bulk water meter will be installed at every offtake point.

 The company will supply water to counties under its jurisdiction following which the regional units will distribute the commodity through water service providers to consumers and collect revenue.