How tech is solving water crisis in slums

One of the major challenges in Nairobi’s informal settlements over the years has been supply of clean water. The situation is further exacerbated by high water prices of up to Sh20 per 20-litre jerry can and affording it is quite an uphill task for a majority.

The Government and well-wishers have, however, been stepping in to save the day. For instance, the National Metropolitan Service (NMS) says it has sunk at least 193 boreholes in different informal settlement areas in the last one year alone.

The Government’s efforts have also been complemented by well-wisher organisations such as Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco), a grassroots movement that serves at least 350,000 urban slum dwellers in 10 informal settlements across the three cities in the country.

Aerial water piping system

In Kibra for instance, Shofco is using a capital-intensive technology in the entire process of water production and purification, thus ensurring efficiency and low maintenance. The organisation has been implementing an aerial water piping system, a fourkilometre pipeline network to ensure communities get adequate supply.

The aerial piping not only prevents water contamination during transmission, but also prevents vandalism or illegal connections. According to a water engineer at Shofco, Jamlik Mutie, the organisation gets raw water from a borehole in the area.

Once pumped from the site, it is conveyed to a raw water tank then to a treatment plant using a range of technologies to make sure they supply to beneficiaries clean and safe water. He explains that the purification plant uses reverse osmosis technology, which is currently the most advanced in water purification, particularly for dissolved chemicals.

Once water is pumped from the borehole, he explains that it goes to the water storage tanks and because it does not meet the desired qualities for drinking water, it has to be treated. From the water storage tank, it passes through carbon filter that removes the larger particles.

It is then conveyed to the next section, which has an additional Nano filter that removes the very fine elements of the water and then pumped to the four reverse osmosis sections. Each has capacity to produce 2,000 litres of clean water per hour.

“The reverse osmosis technology treats not only the high level of fluoride, which is normally dissolved salts, but also its salinity,” he reveals. He adds: “During that process, we are able to get clean water, though some of it is waste. The efficiency of the system is 70 per cent, so if you pump in 100 litres of raw water, the system will produce 70 litres of clean water and 30 litres of waste water,” Mutie says.

The whole clean water production process is monitored through the control panel and the pressure gauges. “We are able to monitor production of water per hour in real time. The clean water is pumped to clean water tanks and the waste goes to waste water tanks, which is recycled for cleaning and flushing the toilet,” he says.

Cheap cashless system

The plant is able to produce 8,000 litres per hour. “We are serving the community through water kiosks . The water is also being used to serve the Shofco facilities, which include Kibera School For Girls, which has a population of over 600 people. We have at least 4,000 others beneficiaries in the community,” he says.

The water produced is tested in Government chemists to make sure it meets the required standards for safe drinking water “We are solving the problem of inadequate water supply in Kibra through technology and even at the water kiosks, 25 automated machines have been installed, so members of the community are able to draw water without attendants since the system is cashless, which ensures convenience,” he explains.

“Communities have been positive on using the technology, may it be on the cashless system or in drawing water because they are able to know how much money they are spending on the water, which is also highly subsidised at Sh2 per 20 litre jerry can,” he says.

Because of the water technology Shofco is using, Mutie says communities are able to access water all the time and for this purpose, they have installed solar powered flood lights so that they are able to fetch water even at night.

Shofco also undertakes water analysis every month for raw and clean water and conduct regular training to ensure they have the right skills to manage the water treatment plant. Ruth Atieno, a mother of three who lives in Kibra attests to this saying that drawing water has never been this easy.

For over five years, she says she has been using water from Shofco and other than being available all the time, it is also cheap.

“Shofco has devised a token system, which allows us to load money on a card and all you do is swipe the card to the machine and the water is available. It is not a must to have vendors to sell the water. It is an easy and clean system,” she says. Another resident, Florence Moraa says that residents no longer walk for long distances in search of water since it is readily available near their homes. She also likes the idea of aerial piping saying that it is safer.

“We like the concept of aerial piping because it is safer compared to the piping on the ground. We have used the water for over five years and the fact that it never runs out is something we do not take for granted. You only need to load your token card with money and you are good to go,” she says in conclusion.

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