Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa Water & Sanitation & Hygiene Nov-Dec 2017 | Page 14

KENYA
WATER
INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATION
Reduction of Non-Revenue-Water
Through Application of Proper Equipment
By Eng. Sabine Sibler and Alec Kimathi
Overview
In 2015 the members of the United Nation General
Assembly (UNGA) adopted the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development to end poverty, fight inequality
and injustice, and to tackle climate change. The
Social Development Goals will guide socio-economic
development for the next 15 years. The topics of clean
water and sanitation are covered under the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) 6, with targets to:
a) Achieve
universal and
equitable
access to safe
and affordable
drinking water
for all
b) Achieve
access to adequate and equitable sanitation and
hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying
special attention to the needs of women and girls and
those in vulnerable situations
c) Improve water quality by reducing pollution,
eliminating dumping and minimizing release of
hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the
proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially
increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
d) Substantially increase water-use efficiency across
all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and
supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and
substantially reduce the number of people suffering
from water scarcity
e) Implement integrated water resources management
at all levels, including through transboundary
cooperation as appropriate
f) Protect and restore water-related ecosystems,
including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers
and lakes
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November - December 2017
g) Expand international cooperation and capacity-
building support to developing countries in water-
and sanitation-related activities and programs,
including water harvesting, desalination, water
efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse
technologies
h) Support and strengthen the participation of local
communities in improving water and sanitation
management
The Kenyan water sector needs to improve its efforts in
order to achieve those goals. The Kenyan Government
has stated in its VISION 2030, that by the year 2030
all Kenyans will have water and sanitation available.
Yet in the face of a high population growth rate (3%),
climate change, increasing pollution of water bodies,
the stakeholders of the water sector need to urgently
address and tackle the systematic water losses, the so
called Non-Revenue-Water issues. The Water Service
Regulatory Board (WASREB) reported in this years’
IMPACT 9 Report that in 30% of all the water utilities in
Kenya, more than 50% of all the water produced is lost
through physical and commercial losses. It is obvious that
in addition to increased investment for infrastructural
expansion and rehabilitation, the real potential in Kenya’s
urban water sector lies in, among others, reducing wastage
and improve water supply efficiency.
The government alone will not be able to eradicate
all the obstacles and implement solutions, but all the
relevant stakeholders of the water sector need to seek
improvement. Among them the associations of the water
sector: WASPA and KWIA.
Who are those associations?
The Water Act of 2002 not only set the stage for the
reform but also raised expectations that Water Service
Providers (WSPs) will be able to professionalize their
utilities. To promote and support the steps towards a