Incorporating an Environmental Management Plan in Water Utilities Management Systems to Reduce Water Loss: Case of Non-Revenue Water in Kisumu City, Kenya

Abstract

One of the biggest issues facing water utilities is the water loss experienced during the distribution process. This study sought to examine water distribution process in Kisumu and formulate an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to minimize water loss and mitigate their negative environmental impacts. A qualitative research approach and a case study research design were employed where 25 participants from Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company (KIWASCO) were interviewed in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Content analysis of the data collected indicated that water quality and quantity were greatly affected by water loss and the problems associated with them included water pollution due to introduction of contaminants when leakages or pipe bursts occur and water scarcity where the water utility was unable to make up for the amount of water lost. Water abstraction technique was also identified as a vital factor that determines how much water is lost even before it gets into the distribution system. Land/soil, socioeconomic and political environment were also some of the factors identified as they form the backbone of a functional EMP. The research concluded that as much as KIWASCO has a strategic plan to minimize these water losses, the goal entirely focuses on doing so for economic gains and not to address the associated negative environmental impacts hence the recommendation that there is need to incorporate an EMP in their management systems that will not only ensure high revenue generation but also guarantee the conservation of the said water resource to achieve environmental excellence.