This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
Published on September 25, 2019, London Distillers (K) Ltd has taken the Mavoko Water and Sewerage Company to court over the disconnection of its sewer line.
The company, which operates a distillery in Mavoko area, Machakos County, argues that the disconnection has interfered with its operations.
According to the company, the Mavoko Water and Sewerage Company blocked the sewer line, which discharges pre-treated effluent, from its distillery to the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) treatment plant.
London Distillers wants the High Court to order Mavoko Water and Sewerage Company to reconnect the sewer pipes and manholes to EPZA's main trunk within six hours.
Failure to do so, the company should be at liberty to reconnect the same, supervised by the OCS Mavoko.
EPZA suspended the contract with the distiller, citing test results from various reputable laboratories that indicate the company was discharging hazardous effluents to human beings, the environment, and organisms.
EPZA's CEO, George Makateto, stated that there was enough evidence indicating that the effluent being discharged from LDK's distillery to the public sewer line was hazardous.
Before the disconnection, the water company analyzed samples of the effluent from LDL's distillery and established that they were above the set limit and water regulations 2016.
The company further claimed that the effluent was affecting the performance of the treatment plant at Kenani and National Environment Management Authority (Nema) had accused them of polluting Athi River.
However, London Distillers denied the allegations, stating that there is no public sewer line connected to the treatment plant at Kenani but EPZA's trunk main sewer line that discharges effluents connected from several tributaries to its treatment plant at Kenani.
The company also denied paying sewer charges of about Sh225,000 to EPZA, depending on the pre-treatment levels, and Nema's accusations of polluting Athi River.
