Kenyan-firm Megapipes Solutions is offering large diameter plastic pipes to combat poor sanitation in the country
Kenya failed to achieve its Millennium Development Goal for increasing access to water and sanitation. Only 30% of Kenyans have access to improved sanitation, or the use of sanitation facilities that hygienically separate excreta from human contact. This means that approximately 30 million Kenyans are still using unsafe sanitation methods such as rudimentary types of toilets, with nearly six million defecating in the open.
Access to improved sanitation is a major challenge both in urban and rural areas. According to a World Health Organisation and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme it costs the country an estimated US$324mn annually for the gaps in its sanitation and hygiene services.
Bringing innovative solutions, and providing and maintaining safe off-site and decentralised sanitation systems, cannot happen without new investment and human technical capacity, particularly considering the growing population density in urban centres.
Megapipes Solutions is offering large diameter plastic pipes to meet the challenge of poor sanitation through the use of Weholite, which has been tested right across Europe, North America and in several African countries including Tanzania and South Africa.
Weholite is a lightweight, engineered structured wall pipe made from high density polyethylene (HDPE), and is used extensively around the world in low pressure or gravity applications for drinking water storage, storm water, sewage and various other liquids.
Polyethylene pipes, first installed in the 1950s, are known to be a reliable, long-term solution for water, stormwater and sanitary systems, lasting for more than 100 years.
Jürg Flühmann, managing director at Megapipes Solutions, said, “Weholite offers distinct chemical and physical advantages over other more traditional materials. Superior hydraulics and abrasion resistance mean that it will not corrode or deteriorate over time, making it a long-lasting solution for projects in Kenya.”
According to Flühmann, new production techniques have been combined with the latest raw materials technology to produce a durable pipe system with superior load-bearing properties. This makes Weholite the preferred solution for many municipal and industrial applications in both the public and private sector, including stormwater management, sewage treatment systems, culverts, marine pipelines and irrigation water distribution.
Weholite pipes will be readily available in Kenya with the construction of a factory for manufacturing of the large diameter plastic pipes for drainage and sanitation projects in Kenya and neighboring countries, already underway.
