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Harvest water before the sun shines – Davis & Shirtliff CEO

Water and Energy Solutions Company Davis & Shirtliff says Kenyans must prepare for the short rains that have begun in different parts of the country in the month of October and focus on water harvesting for residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial use.

This comes after the Kenya Meteorological Department recently sent out an advisory to Kenyans on the short rains expected in the last leg of the year. The weatherman cautioned that flooding may accompany the short rains in some parts of the country and with it raises the risk of water borne diseases and mudslides.

“With the recent advance advisory from the weatherman, Kenyans need to focus on preparing for the short rains. The Meteorological Department predicted that some parts of the country such as North Eastern will be dry in the month of December. The rains therefore offer a great opportunity to harvest water for the dry spell,” Davis & Shirtliff’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Gatende said.

In a press statement, Mr Gatende also pointed out that harvested rain water can be used for non-portable purposes such as washing dishes, flushing toilets and irrigation among others.

The Davis & Shirtliff’s CEO said that history has shown that there is a need for the country to invest in water harvesting infrastructure as exemplified by Australia.

He pointed out that a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) details how some countries around the world have reduced their water consumption through rain water harvesting. In Singapore for example, almost 86% of the country’s population lives in high-rise buildings. Collected roof water is therefore kept in separate cisterns on the roofs for non-portable uses.

“We lose too much water to surface run-off; with the right measures therefore, Kenyans can reap the benefits of the rains and not dwell on the negative aspects that may accompany the rains,” Mr Gatende said.

Heavy rains experienced earlier in the year affected over 800,000 Kenyans, with 186 people losing their lives, according to a UN report. At the same time, cholera cases also went up.