Water Services Enhancement
KENYA WATER INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION more efficient , effective and transparent water sector the Water Service Providers ’ Association ( WASPA ) was founded . What started with only 3 members in 2002 is now a respectable association with about 60 WSPs as members out of a possible 103 WSPs in the country . WASPA ’ s mission is it to “ improve the enabling environment for the members for provision of sustainable , efficient and effective water and sewerage services by way of advocacy , networking , partnerships , capacity building and promotion of best practices ”.
KENYA WATER INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
In 2003 the private arm of the water sector was in need of a strong voice towards the government . The drillers founded the Kenyan Water Industry Association and fought successfully for the removal of 16 % VAT charge for drilling operations . Since then , KWIA has widened its sphere of influence and activities and is trying to improve the competitiveness of their members companies , is helping to improve the living standards through responsible development of water resources and last but not least is aiming to be a voice for the water sector to guarantee the effective sustainable use of water in Kenya .
Which Role can those association play ?
Associations play a unique role in any sector . On one hand they represent their members and lobby towards the governmental organizations and authorities but on the other hand the government can and should use the power and network of the associations for the transmission of information to water professionals and consumers .
After analyzing the situation and speaking to WASPA and KWIA members , it quickly became clear that some of the equipment used in the water utilities are substandard and Non-Revenue-Water increase has been directly attributed to poor quality equipment ; mostly water meters , pumps , pipes , and valves . The Water Service Providers ( WASPA members ) requested their association for support and guidance in procurement and selection of proper equipment that would offer minimum quality needed in order to address water losses . The associations together with its partner SWAP-bfz have contracted an international expert team from Tuev-Sued , to develop “ Technical Guidelines on water meter , pumps , pipes and valves ”.
Development of Technical Guidelines
The experts started by identifying relevant national ( Kenyan ) and international standards , which was followed up through a series of interviews with relevant stakeholders , such as Kenya Bureau of Standards , Ministry of Water & Irrigation , Water Service Regulatory Board , Kenya Water Institute and last but not least , technical directors of the water utilities , suppliers and manufacturers of those products . The information gathered in those meetings combined with best practices and standards worldwide were developed into minimum requirements for pumps , pipes , and valves in Kenya .
The findings showed that in 70 % of the cases bursts and leaks are some of the major causes of Non-Revenue- Water in Kenya and is directly related to joining . The main causes of pipe failure include improper pipe , fittings and joint type ; sub-standard pipes and fittings ; poor installation and maintenance of pipes . The water loss due to the pipe and joint failure increase the overall energy consumption of the water distribution system . Other information showed that valve malfunctioning is one of the major causes of downtime of water supply in Kenya . The main causes of valve malfunctioning include improper valve type , substandard valves , poor installation and maintenance of valves . In addition to that , improper valve use and installation cause unintended pressure levels in the water distribution systems . Pressure variety is the main cause for pipe / joint breaks and therefore increased
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