An innovative aerial water piping system erected in Kenya’s biggest slum, Kibera, to supply water to kiosks using a network of elevated pipes is changing the water supply narrative in the slum.
A local non-governmental organization (NGO) – Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), has come up with an innovative method to address rampant vandalism and theft of pipes by suspending a network of pipes in the air.
Water supply in the slum has been marred by rampant vandalism of underground pipes and water cartels have made it almost impossible to supply affordable water to the slum dwellers.
SHOFCO designed the overhead water supply system after falling victim to vandalism. The system does not involve the digging of trenches and laying underground pipes. It instead involves a network of overhead pipes suspended on poles and terminating at water kiosks located in strategic places within the slum.
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Water cartels have been curtailing local authority and suppliers’ efforts to provide affordable clean water to the slum dwellers by cutting off water supply systems and not allow “outsiders” to supply the commodity to residents at lower prices.
“We would lay pipes and then the next morning find them uprooted. It then became a very expensive affair since vandals would go away with the pipes after uprooting them. Every week, we had tampered pipes and contamination cases,” Johnstone Mutua, Shofco programme officer said.
The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) recently stated that it will eradicate water cartels by allowing only eligible suppliers to undergo inspection and approval for water trading activities in the city.
According to Mutua, the overhead system has changed the whole water supply narrative as minimal disruption of supply has been recorded owing to the fact that vandalising overhead pipes is difficult since it would involve climbing up the poles.
He says the aerial piping has covered about 3.4km with 25 water kiosks spread across the slum, each serving about 60 household a day.
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“It is easy to spot and fix leakages hence the piping is cheap to maintain. Water contamination has also ended ever since we adopted the new system,” Mutua said.
The pipes are made from High Density Polythene (HDPE, a type of flexible plastic pipe used for fluid and gas transfer and often used to replace ageing concrete or steel mains pipelines.
In 2018, the aerial water supply system was awarded the prestigious Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize and a US $2 million funding for innovative supply of clean and safe water to slum dwellers.
SHOFCO has built a 100,000-liter water tower, the largest clean water access point in Kibera Slums, to supply clean water to dwellers.
