Design of the Yatta Water Supply and Sanitation Project.

Project Location
The project is located in Machakos County with three main components:

Rehabilitation and seepage control of the 60km Yatta Canal, constructed in 1959. It draws water from Thika River, in the Tana Basin, 40km East of Thika Town and discharges into Athi River. 

Treatment and supply of water to Kithimani, Matuu, Katangi and Kyua towns; Sophia, Ikombe, and Ndalani trading centers and the surrounding areas. This consist of:

• A treatment works receiving raw water from a 4km gravity transition line from the proposed Yatta Dam, located on Thika River, approximately 1.5km off Thika Garissa road; and
• A pumping station at the treatment works to raise water to a high level tank inside Yatta National Youth Service camp, a kilometer away. From this tank water is supplied to consumers through 140km of transmission and distribution lines. To hedge against fluctuations several masonry storage tanks were provided.

Water-borne sanitation covering urban, peri-urban and rural area of Matuu Town. The urban area will be served by a sewer network of about 92km, while some places will be served by on-site sanitation facilities.

The piped sewer will gravitate into a sewer treatment works consisting of stabilization ponds.

Project Benefits

Some of the benefits of the sewerage system are:

• Improved living standards for the area’s residents;
• Better heath due to reduction in water borne diseases;
• Enhanced economic growth of the town and its environs; and
• Reduced conflicts among users of Yatta Canal
• Reduce pollution of water bodies.