Machakos County government has been asked to invest in alternative water sources in a bid to end scarcity of the commodity in the region.
Addressing journalists in his office on Tuesday, Mavoko Water and Sewerage Company Managing Director Michael Mang'eli, said the problem cannot be solved by only one source.
"Water shortage is a big problem in Machakos County hence need for the county government among other development partners in the region to invest in alternative sources," said Mang'eli.
He said the county which is part of the Ukambani area in the eastern part of the country is semi-arid with water scarcity and shortage being a perennial problem.
He said the water company has a capacity to supply Mavoko Sub-County residents with only 160,000 cubic metres of water monthly against the required 600,000 cubic meters.
"We are struggling as a company to do everything at our disposal to ensure we fairly and equitably distribute clean water to all Mavoko residents. It is a challenge though given that the deficit is too big to bridge," said Mang'eli.
The company's technical manager, Jesee Ambundo, said the firm had great difficulty to construct viable water infrastructure given that there was no reliable water source in the region.
Ambundo wants the county government to allocate enough funds for water projects to drill more boreholes as well as construct more dams to supplement the piped water provided by the company.
This, he noted, will provide a permanent solution to water scarcity in the region.