WSUP representative speaks to Dandora landlord about the benefits of a metered water supply.
English
Dandora is a low-income suburb in eastern Nairobi and the location of the city’s biggest dumping ground and main sewage treatment works. Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) has been working with the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) to improve residents’ access to a safe water supply. Supported by the SWIFT Consortium, they have jointly installed a 23km water network in Dandora, serving 52 000 beneficiaries. They have also worked together to promote take-up of metered water connections.
Before WSUP started work in Dandora, many residents relied on water from illegal vendors and boreholes. This water was often contaminated – in particular, with high levels of fluoride. Families wasted many hours each week, queuing for water. Prices were very high, up to KSh20 for a 20 litre jerrycan. Many parts of the water system were controlled by water cartels, who intimidated residents.
But, as Sylvia Ndirangu, WSUP Project Officer in Nairobi, explains, the new network is just part of the solution. “Building a new water network of this size is clearly a very exciting step. However, by itself, it is never going to bring about the change on the scale that is required. There has to be a genuine demand for metered water connections, so that people choose to use water from the new network, rather than obtaining it by more informal, dangerous means.”
To this end, WSUP worked with NCWSC and local promoters to drive demand for metered connections. Jointly, they created awareness of the benefits of water meters and signed up landlords to the system. They provided information on convenient payment options, to ensure customers paid their bills reliably, which in turn strengthens the position of NCWSC to extend its services. The team also worked to build loyalty to and trust of the NCWSC brand, particularly amongst low-income customers, and to differentiate NCWSC’s “offer” from those of the illegal vendors and cartels.
Thanks to WSUP’s work, there has been a drastic increase in the number of Dandora residents seeking water via metered plot connections. To date, 400 plots have been connected, each with an average of five households. And a further 1150 plots have applied for metered connections. Households connected to meters can significantly reduce the amount they spend on water. At most, metered residents would pay KSh4 to fill a 20 litre jerrycan, and many pay far less than this. The convenience of metered water supplies frees up customers to spend their time in more economically productive ways. And the power of the cartels is reduced when households are no longer reliant on them for their water needs.
One anonymous resident commented, “I’ve had three illegal connections. Every few months they disconnect and I have to pay again. Now I am in control. I don’t have to worry about anybody bothering me.”
More information about WSUP’s work in Dandora and the impact it is having on residents is available on the WSUP website.
