Irresponsible scrap metal business in Kiambu County is on the rise, making it difficult for the Kiambu Water and Sewerage Company to maintain manhole covers.
In addition, metal water pipes are also being vandalised soon after installation.
Speaking from his office in Kiambu on Friday, Kiambu Water commercial manager, Boniface Mbugua, said the company had now resorted to using plastic pipes, UPVC and PPV pipes due to the menace.
He, however, said that the plastic pipes were not long-lasting as the metal ones and he appealed to the residents to guard their premises so that equipment installed for them was well maintained.
Mbugua said, as a result, the company was now using concrete manhole covers to deter thieves from stealing them.
Last weekend, Mbugua said a resident at Ruthirimu in Kiambu Town cut a water pipe with a hacksaw which was left at the scene. Water was left running for the whole night until the company received the information about the vandalism and went to repair it.
A scrap metal business dealer says it was difficult to establish the source of some of the scrap metals as most of the people that sell to her were street children.