Pain as floods wreck water, sewerage services in Garissa

GAWASCO PR officer Omar Abdullahi speaking to the press in Garissa town.

Workers repair a pipe that was destroyed by flood waters at Iftin area /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

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A pipe that was exposed by following heavy rain in Garissa that led to floods /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Workers busy repair a pipe that was destroyed by flood waters at Iftin area /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Residents of Garissa are facing disruptions in water and sewerage services following heavy rains that have triggered severe flooding across parts of the town.

Garissa Water and Sewerage Company public relations officer Omar Abdullahi said the ongoing rains have damaged key water and sewerage infrastructure, affecting supply in several neighbourhoods.

Abdullahi said raging flood waters washed away sections of main water pipelines in areas including Galbet, ADC, Bulla Madina and Burburis.

The damage was particularly severe in sections where pipelines cross seasonal waterways, commonly known as lagas, which overflowed following the downpour.

The flooding has also affected sewerage services in the town centre. In Garissa CBD, parts of the sewer network were temporarily disrupted after stormwater and debris clogged the system.

Abdullahi said its maintenance and repair teams, led by engineers in various operational zones, have already been deployed to assess the damage and carry out repairs.

“Normal water supply and sewerage services will resume immediately repairs are completed. So all we are asking from our customers and the residents of Garissa at large is to have some liitle of patience as we address this,” Abdullahi said.

He further called on the residents to report any damaged water infrastructure to the nearest Gawasco zonal office to facilitate quicker response.

“Let us all be watchful and report any damaged infrastructure to the nearest Gawasco office for swift action to be taken,”he said.

Last week, the utility company urged residents to bare with the current situation that has seen the quality of water change, saying that the problem was temporary.

It attributed the situation to heavy rainfall within the River Tana catchment area, particularly in Kitui, Tana River and parts of Garissa county.

Gawasco managing director Mohamed Dolal assured residents that the inconvenience would not last long.

Dolal said turbidity levels in the raw water had risen significantly, reducing production at the plant by up to 50 per cent.

“This may result in reduced water production, temporary changes in water colour and possible delays in supply in some areas,” he added.

However, Dolal said that the company’s technical team is closely monitoring the situation to ensure safe water standards are maintained before distribution.