15 Jan Mumias Water and Sanitation Project

The new gravity scheme targeted overhauling the previously existing water supply system at a cost of over Kshs1.6 billion, to meet the town’s future demand of up to the year 2025. The new system has a raw water intake upstream of the old source on River Lusumu, some 28 kilometers from Mumias town. The old system with a capacity of 1,215m3 per day was also rehabilitated to serve the adjoining lower rural areas by gravity. The new project has a new reinforced concrete tank constructed at Ekero near Mumias town with a capacity of 5,000m3 to boost water storage and supply in the center.

Under the new scheme, the old distribution network were expanded to a 13.030km and 14.750km long ferrous Pipe of 600mm and 500mm in diameter respectively, and increased the production of potable water from the current 1,618m3/d to 15,000m3/d.

The Mumias Water & Sanitation Supply project increased production of portable water from the previous 1,618 to 15,000m3 per day against projected demand of 14,769m3 per day, and expanded service to more than 150,000 people.

Construction works for the new supply was preceded by minor rehabilitation works to the existing water treatment works and distribution network to ensure optimum operations till the new Project comes on line.

The new Mumias Water Supply and Sanitation project was funded jointly by the Government of Kenya and the World Bank through the International Development Association. The construction works, undertaken by a Chinese firm Jiangxi Zhongmei Engineering Construction Co. Ltd and supervised by Mangat, I.B. Patel and Partners Consulting Engineers, was completed in 2014.