By Robert Mutasi 
Thousands of residents, institutions, and businesses in Eldoret and its surrounding areas are set to experience a significant water supply disruption after the Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (Eldowas) announced a temporary shutdown of water services from the Chebara Water Treatment Plant.
According to a public notice issued by Eldowas Managing Director CPA Dr. Lawrence Tanui, the interruption will begin on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. and continue until Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 9:00 p.m., as the company undertakes essential routine maintenance works at the treatment facility.
The planned maintenance exercise is expected to affect a wide section of Eldoret town and neighbouring areas that rely on water supplied through the Chebara-Eldoret pipeline.
Among the areas listed as likely to experience water shortages are Kimumu, the University of Eldoret and surrounding neighbourhoods, Marakwet Farm, Kapchumba, the upper parts of Maili Nne, Munyaka, Kapsoya, and Action Estates.
The disruption will also affect major industrial and commercial consumers, including Rift Valley Bottlers and Bio-Corn, raising concerns about possible operational challenges during the maintenance period.
Other affected locations include Upper Elgon View, Eldoret Polytechnic, Annex, Langas, Racecourse, Kapseret, Chepkanga, Marura, Kamukunji, Mwanzo, Old Uganda Road, and all customers situated along the Chebara-Eldoret Pipeline.
The announcement is expected to prompt residents and businesses to begin storing water in advance to cushion themselves against the temporary shortage.
In a development likely to compound the inconvenience, Eldowas revealed that water bowser services will also be unavailable throughout the maintenance period.
Water bowsers are often relied upon as an emergency alternative supply mechanism during major disruptions, and their suspension means affected consumers will have limited options for accessing water during the three-day outage.
However, Eldowas assured residents that other water treatment plants within its network will remain operational and continue supplying areas that are not directly dependent on the Chebara Water Treatment Plant.
The company said the move is aimed at ensuring continuity of water services in unaffected zones while maintenance works are underway.
Although the temporary shutdown is expected to cause inconvenience, water sector experts note that routine maintenance is critical in ensuring the long-term reliability, efficiency, and safety of water supply infrastructure.
Water treatment plants require periodic inspections, repairs, and upgrades to prevent unexpected breakdowns that could result in longer and more severe interruptions.
The Chebara Water Treatment Plant remains one of the key facilities supplying treated water to Eldoret and surrounding settlements, making regular maintenance essential for sustaining service delivery to the rapidly growing urban population.
The planned works come at a time when Eldoret continues to experience increasing demand for clean and reliable water due to population growth, expansion of residential estates, and rising industrial activity.
With the interruption expected to last more than 60 hours, residents have been advised to store adequate amounts of water for domestic use before the shutdown begins.
Businesses, schools, hospitals, learning institutions, and industrial facilities in the affected areas are also expected to make contingency plans to minimize disruptions to their operations.
Eldowas has apologized for the inconvenience caused and appealed for patience and cooperation from consumers as it carries out the maintenance exercise.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding,” the notice signed by CPA Dr. Lawrence Tanui stated.
As the countdown to the maintenance shutdown begins, households and businesses across Eldoret’s affected neighbourhoods are being urged to take early precautionary measures to avoid the challenges that often accompany prolonged water supply interruptions.
Michael Karemi