Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company /FILE
Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company has issued a final notice to residents of Utawala and Mihango in Nairobi’s Upper Embakasi region to regularise unmetered water and sewer connections before the expiry of a 21-day grace period on May 28.
In a public notice dated May 7, the utility company said it has been conducting a compliance and metering exercise in the two estates as part of efforts to improve service delivery and curb illegal water use.
The company warned that customers who fail to regularise their water and sewer connections before the deadline risk enforcement action, including penalties, disconnections and additional charges.
According to the notice, illegal domestic water connections will attract a penalty of Sh30,000, while commercial premises will face fines of up to Sh100,000, in addition to estimated water consumption charges backdated to October 2024.
Nairobi Water further said customers disconnected at the mains will be required to pay a Sh5,000 reconnection fee and double deposit charges before services are restored.
The utility also warned that sewer service disconnections where applicable will attract an additional Sh15,000 charge.
“Final days remaining. The 21-day grace period granted to customers in Utawala and Mihango with unmetered connections ends on 28th May 2026,” the company said in a follow-up alert to customers.
“Avoid last-minute rush and possible inconvenience by regularising your water and sewer connection today.”
The compliance exercise forms part of Nairobi Water’s wider efforts to address water losses, improve billing accuracy and enhance reliability of water supply in the city.
Illegal and unmetered connections have for years been blamed for revenue losses, low water pressure and supply disruptions in several Nairobi estates.
Water sector officials have previously raised concern over the growing number of illegal connections in rapidly expanding residential areas, saying they strain existing infrastructure and affect service delivery to compliant customers.
The company has encouraged affected customers to apply for regularisation through its online portal or seek assistance at its Upper Embakasi offices and customer care centres.
Residents were also advised to use official Nairobi Water channels to verify their connection status and avoid dealing with unauthorised agents.
The latest notice comes amid increased efforts by public utilities to tighten compliance measures and improve revenue collection as demand for water services continues to rise in Nairobi’s fast-growing estates.
Nairobi Water said the exercise is aimed at ensuring all customers are properly metered and connected within the law as the company seeks to improve efficiency and accountability in water distribution.
