Buildings, garages in Meru Town dumping harmful waste into stream

Mechanics clean part of an engine in the Kanyuru stream in Meru Town on February 23, 2015. The release of human waste and effluent from garages into the stream that drains into River Kathita has resulted in contamination of the water used by residents. FILE PHOTO | DAVID MUCHUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • It notes that River Kathita is highly contaminated by faecal matter and effluent from cars.
  • The pollution of Kanyuru stream by garage owners and carwash operators has been blamed for cases of cancer in lower parts of Meru County.
  • The report calls for the relocation and closure of all garages that are emitting their effluent into the river.
  • Farmers using Kanyuru water for irrigation have complained that their crops have been drying up due to contamination.

Commercial buildings in Meru Town have been discharging human waste into the Kanyuru stream that drains into River Kathita.

This is according to a report on pollution of the stream by the Meru County Assembly committee on county health services.

The report adopted by the county assembly on Tuesday also cites carwash yards and garages for releasing battery acid, lead and other cancer-causing chemical waste into the stream.

“The members witnessed dirty water flowing directly into the river from Kailanya’s building. They flashed a toilet within Opiyo Andrew’s building and the waste flew direct into the stream.

“Nteere house sewerage system was also directed to the stream. The owners promised that they would divert their systems in a weeks’ time,” reads the report tabled in the assembly.

It notes that River Kathita is highly contaminated by faecal matter and effluent from cars.

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

“While the bacteriological results showed 10 E.coli per 100ml and total coliforms of over 1800/100ml, the chemical analysis results shows the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 105mg/litre against the WHO and NEMA standards of 50mg/l…” the report states.

The COD test is used to establish the amount of living organisms in water.

Coliform bacteria are an indicator of sanitary quality of food and water while some types of E.coli cause diarrhoea.

The report calls for the relocation and closure of all garages that are emitting their effluent into the river.

It recommends that the county executive should ensure no sewage effluent is discharged into the stream and that all carwash yards should have a soak pit and be located 30 meters from a water source.

The pollution of Kanyuru stream by garage owners and carwash operators has been blamed for cases of cancer in lower parts of Meru County.

Kanyuru stream passes through Meru Town where garages and carwashes and other premises have been operating for years.

Farmers who have been using Kanyuru water for irrigation have complained that their crops have been drying up due to contamination.

“We can no longer use the water from Kanyuru for farming because crops dry up as a result of oils and chemicals that are carried from town,” said Mr Martin Kimathi, a resident of Mulathankari in Imenti North.