Water PS urges reduction of non-revenue water to meet standards

 Stakeholders in the Water Sector Management are being urged to collaborate and devise strategies with the goal of significantly reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in the country.

The move seeks to minimize the loss of water between its production and supply, aiming to bring down the current NRW rate of 45 percent to 5 percent.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Kipronoh Ronoh, emphasized the crucial need for the country to effectively manage Non Revenue Water to meet acceptable standards.

He stressed the urgency of implementing strategies that prioritize the speed and quality of repairs once a leak has been detected.

 “Kenya has Non Revenue Water standing at 45 percent compared to Japan which has 10 percent, active leakage control mechanisms, assets and pressure management as both short term and long term measures are key as well as implementation of the water provisions measures as outlined in the Constitution and Water Act 2016,” said Dr Ronoh.

Dr. Ronoh, who spoke in Nairobi on Saturday, emphasized that Kenya stands out among the few African countries that have successfully implemented the Non-Revenue Water Management Standards.

 He stressed the urgent need for all Water Service Providers to meet and implement these standards to effectively serve the citizens.

The PS  lauded Meru and Nyeri Water companies for managing the issue of Non-Revenue Water with the technical support from Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) which has got a team in the country to train Water Service Providers on the best practices to manage Water losses.

He directed the Water Service Regulatory Board to take charge ensuring implementation of standards as well as coming up with a working mechanism within three months besides coming up with far-reaching review of equipment and technology to be used by the county government through Smart meters.

“The history of Non-Revenue Water in Ministry dates back to 2009 when the unit was officially formed to deal with water losses in terms of technology, commercial and lack of adequate training for staff directly involved, it is our duty to ensure it is brought down from the current 45 per cent to five (5) per cent within the next three years,” said Dr Ronoh.

He called on relevant agencies to ensure that the utilization of bulk water is monitored within one year for compliance with Water Service Providers to create Non-Revenue Water sections and deploy the best employees with high standards of integrity to manage the unit's affairs.