Desalination Plant Installed To Deal With Poor Water Quality in Marsabit
The project was a partnership between the County Government of Marsabit, a lobby and is being implemented by a pastoralist community initiative.
The Ksh64 million desalination plant at Bubisa Location will benefit over 2,000 households in the region. The plant has the capacity to desalinate 10,000 litres of water per hour and over 20,000 litres of water per day, and is aimed at eradicating compromised water quality-related diseases.
According to Marsabit County Water and Sanitation Company (MAWASCO) Director Sora Katelo, out of the 200 boreholes drilled across the county, 85 had saline water. He linked the rampant cases of chronic illness to the compromised water quality from the respective water sources (boreholes). Katelo named Kargi, Maikona, Shurr, Gas, Bubisa, and Forole locations for being notorious for oesophagus cancer and kidney complications linked to compromised water standards. He lauded the launched project, saying that desalination is one of the strategic options that will be replicated by MAWASCO, as a pragmatic solution to provide a consistent supply of safe, drinking water for the entire county.
Bubisa Location Chief Joseph Jirma confirmed that his area reported several health complications attributed to compromised water quality every month.
North Horr Constituency Member of Parliament Wario Guyo on his part decried the sorry state of most boreholes across the region, saying that the residents were forced to use contaminated water due to a lack of alternatives.
A study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in Marsabit found that drinking water contained carcinogens and that such contaminants may be responsible several cases of cancer in the region.
