Extent of Non-Revenue Water To Water Service Providers in Embu County

Abstract

The importance of freshwater resource to man' s survival on earth cannot be over emphasized. It permeates through all aspects of man' s life on earth. From its use as drinking water, for food production, for washing (as means of maintaining healthy life and dignity), for the generation of energy, as a means of transport, for the production of industrial products to the maintenance of the integrity and sustainability of the earth's ecological systems, are all factors that cannot be denied of the fact that water indeed is life (World Water Assessment Programme of UN, 2003:5).The human body constitutes about fifty to sixty-five per cent of water and water is the most important need of the human body only next to air (Thornton 2002: 2). In spite of the importance of the freshwater resource to man' s survival on earth, the resource throughout the world is fast depleting. Various factors account for the fast depletion of the freshwater resource. These factors include; population growth, increase agricultural irrigation, pollution, overexploitation, denuding of water catchment areas, urbanization and industrialization (Butler and Memon 2006:180, Aswathanarayana 2001: 48). As the population increases, the demand for water in all aspects of life also increases. It is estimated that water use has been increasing twice as fast as population growth in the 21st century and that the global water use rose from 1000 km 3 per year in 1940 to 4130 km 3, per year in 1990 (Aswathananiyana 2001:47), and as stated earlier, it was further expected that this would rise to 5000 km3 per year in 2000 (Aswathanarayana 2001:47). In the past, man’s attitude towards water as a free natural.