Naivasha Water and Sanitation Company (NAIVAWASCO) has partnered with Sanivation Company to construct a multi-million-shilling fecal sludge treatment plant that will convert the town’s human waste into biomass fuel briquettes for industrial use.

The plant will process waste from the 84 per cent of Naivasha’s population not connected to the sewer system, who currently rely on pit latrines, septic tanks and exhaust trucks, after it emerged that only 16 per cent of residents are served by the existing sewer network.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Nakuru County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Water and Environment, Dr Nelson Mara, said the plant was a game-changer for a town whose sewer infrastructure had not kept pace with population growth.

“There has been a problem in sanitation in Naivasha as only 16 per cent of the residents are served by the sewer system, and this new plant will serve the other 84 per cent who relied on pit latrines and septic tanks,” he said.

Dr Mara said Naivasha’s sewage treatment plant was built in 1974, to serve a population of 17,000, but the town’s population has since grown substantially.

He added that Nakuru County would need more than Sh10 billion to expand three waste treatment plants and a reticulation system for Naivasha.

Sanivation Company CEO, Emily Woods, said the plant was expected to be operational by July next year, producing an estimated 2,000 tonnes of biomass fuel briquettes a month once fully scaled up, serving up to 130,000 households.

She said the briquettes would supply industrial boilers, manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, cutting their energy costs by 10 to 30 per cent while easing pressure on forests currently logged for fuel.

Woods also welcomed a proposal from stakeholders to use water hyacinth harvested from Lake Naivasha, rather than sawdust, in processing the sludge, a move she said would help tackle the weed’s spread on the lake.

“There is a very high demand for briquettes from various companies, and this plant will address that by addressing the issue of sanitation and producing clean biomass fuel,” she said.

NAIVAWASCO Managing Director Engineer, Nahashon Wahome, said the plant would relieve pressure on the town’s overstretched sewer system.

“The current sewer plant is struggling to process human waste from the town due to the rising population, and this new plant will come in handy in addressing this,” he said.

Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) CEO Leparan Tialal urged the investor to draw on water hyacinth from Lake Naivasha in the briquette-making process.

By Erastus Gichohi