Abstract

Managing drinking water in its distribution pathways is one of the main indicators of the quality of service provided to the consumer. Its quality management is important since human health and livelihoods depend on adequate, clean, reliable water supplies. Unfortunately, this is not true to many neighborhoods in developing countries and the quality of water distributed in Umoja Innercore is no exemption. This research sought to evaluate how the management of water affects its distribution in the entity from source to the household. Six borehole owners and 5 water bowsers were interviewed and 156 households’ questionnaires were administered in a systematic random manner through a survey carried out over a period of 10 days. The study found out that 29.3% of respondents get treated water directly from Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), 32.7 and 25.3% get untreated water from water bowsers and water carts through jerrycans, 10% indicated water kiosk and 3% from rainwater. The cost of water ranges from Ksh.  20 per 20-L jerrycan to Ksh., 50 during scarce periods. 89% of sampled households treat all water out of which, 52% boil water, 20% use filtration cans, 26% further chlorinate the water, and 3% strain water through sieve clothe. The study reveals the inconsistency of monitoring by NCWSC of the available sources of water and unregulated cartels compromising water quality. The study recommends regulating and incorporating private boreholes distributors to the network through a quasi-delegated model using an inter-estate bulk treatment for quality measures before supplying to households.

Key words: Nairobi, Quasi-delegated management, sustainable distribution, Umoja Innercore, quality drinking water.