The Coast Water Works Development Agency has announced 90 percent completion of a solar power project that will help reduce electricity bills at the Baricho Water Works station in Malindi Sub County, Kilifi County.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CWWDA Hamoud Mguza said that the 6,716 solar panels will produce 4.3. megawatts of electricity that will help reduce pumping costs by 20 percent.
He added that from next week the agency will start using power from solar panels to pump water and that in phase two and three of the project, they anticipate to producing more than 10 megawatts of electricity which will enable them to do away with electricity from Kenya Power.
Currently, he said that the agency was owed Sh. 6 billion shillings from Water Service Providers (WSP) from four counties in the coastal region since 2012, a thing he added had made them unable to settle Kenya Power bills hence frequent power outages at the station.
“The solar power has been brought but it also needs maintenance and so when we raise bills, the WSPs must pay or less we will have no option than to disconnect pumping,” he said.
Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Chibule said that the county was working closely with the national government to help address the water scarcity problems in the area and that the solarization project will go a long way in enhancing water pumping at the Baricho Water Works station.
She challenged residents connected to the pipeline to pay for water they consume to enable the Malindi Water and Sewerage Company (MAWASCO) and the Kilifi Mariakani Water and Sewerage Company (KIMAWASCO) to enable them generate funds for paying CWWDA power bills and for running the two water utility companies.
“We had inherited bills at CWWDA and our people have been complaining over lack of water yet they pay water bills but we have others who do not pay. The solarization project will help us address the bills problems,” she said.
The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Eric Mugaa said that the government was committed to finding lasting solutions to the water scarcity problems in the coastal region among them being the solarization project at Baricho and completion of Mwache dam in Kwale county.
“This solar firm will be complete next week because we are at 90 percent, then we will reduce power bills by 20 percent only. We need high rise pumps and that is why we will have phase one and phase two and we will also install power storage,” he said.
