The Ministry of Water requires over Sh1.2 billion to supply Naivasha town and its environs with fresh water from the Aberdares in Nyandarua County.

The revelation came a day after it emerged that the fluoride levels in the town stood at 10mg/litre against the WHO recommended standards of 1.5mg/litre.

Naivasha District Water Officer Robinson Ngugi said they had come up with a plan to supply fluoride-free water.

He said the Aberdares had plenty of fluoride-free water sufficient for the town’s population.

“The design is ready to supply Naivasha with fresh water from the Aberdare but the major challenge is the high amount of funds needed for the exercise,” he said.

Speaking in Mirera estate, Ngugi said the water would be delivered through gravity thus saving on power costs.

“We are asking for donors to chip in and assist in this noble exercise which will see the perennial problem of water addressed in Naivasha,” he said.

Ngugi said majority of households in Naivasha rely on borehole water whose fluoride levels are high. “It is hard to sustain the supply of borehole water in Naivasha due to the high electricity charges,” he said.

Naivasha District Public Health Officer Samuel King’ori said a study done in 15 boreholes in the town indicated high levels of fluoride.

15 boreholes

“We did a survey of 15 boreholes in Naivasha and all of them did not meet the WHO standards of fluoride levels,” he said.

Mr King’ori said the high fluoride levels had affected the youth with many missing out in army recruitment due to low weight and coloured teeth.

He said the widespread cases of dental and skeletal fluorosis in the area was a result of consumption of water containing high levels of fluoride.

“The main source of water in Naivasha is boreholes and most of the underground water is characterised by high levels of fluoride, sometimes as high as 10mg/litre,” he said.

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