Laboratory Services

WRA Water Quality & Pollution Control Officer carrying out some tests

WATER RESOURCES LABORATORY SERVICES

WRA Laboratories plays a major role in carrying out various tests on water to ensure that the water used for various applications meet prescribed guidelines. In this regard, the labs analyses water for domestic, irrigation, construction, research and wastewater (Effluent) to ensure that it is within the regulatory requirement. The Constitution of Kenya 2010 establishes the right to safe and clean water for every citizen. The central water testing laboratory uses the state of the art equipment, to perform more than 40 different tests on a variety of water samples.

What is Authority’s mandate in protection of water resources?

To regulate and protect water resources quality from adverse impacts

What services are offered in the Laboratory?

• Full chemical analysis
• Analysis of Wastewater (effluent )
• Bacteriological analysis

Specified parameters for chemicals for water supply  treatment works

Microbiological Water Analysis

Cost of our laboratory services

• Full Chemical Analysis

  The full Chemical Analysis costs Kenya Shillings Five Thousand (Ksh. 5,000.00)

• Partial Waste Water Analysis (Effluent)

  The Partial Waste Water Analysis costs Kenya Shillings Five Thousand (Ksh. 5,000.00)

• Bacteriological analysis

  The Bacteriological analysis costs Kenya Shillings Two Thousand (Ksh. 2,000.00)

• Specified parameters for chemicals for water supply treatment works

  Subject to the number of parameters

Where are the laboratories located?

WRA operates ten (10) laboratories across the country, covering the six regions and the Central Lab in Nairobi.

WRA Catchment Area	Laboratory
Nairobi	Nairobi
Lake Victoria North Basin Area  (LVNBA)	Kakamega
Lake Victoria South Basin Area (LVSBA)	Kisumu
Rift Valley Basin Area (RVBA)	Nakuru Naivasha
Athi Basin Area (ABA)	Machakos
Tana Basin Area (TBA)	Embu Muranga Kerugoya
ENNCA	Nyeri

Who are the Laboratory Customers

1. Water users
2. Industries
3. Water service providers
4. Government agencies
5. Institutions of higher learning
6. Researchers

What are the guidelines for Drinking Water Standards?

PARAMETER	UNIT	W.H.O GUIDELINES
ph	-log[H+]	pH Scale   6.5 – 8.5
Colour	mg/pt/l	< 15
Turbidity	N. T. U.	<5
Dissolved Oxygen (O2)	mg/l	> 4
Total Hardness	mgCaCO3/l	< 500
Total Alkalinity	mgCaCO3/l	< 500
Fluoride (F)	mg/l	< 1.5
Total Dissolved Solids	mg/l	< 1500
Chloride	mg/l	< 250
Sodium	mg/l	< 200
Zinc	mg/l	< 5
Sulphates	mg/l	< 400
Iron (Fe)	mg/l	< 0.3
Manganese (Mn)	mg/l	< 0.1
Nitrate	mg/l	< 10
Lead (Pb)	mg/l	< 0.05
Mercury (Hg)	mg/l	< 0.01
Cyanide (CN)	mg/l	< 0.01
Total Coliforms	No/100 ml	< 10
Feacal Coliforms	No/100 ml	Nil
Nitrite	mg/l	<0.1

What are the EFFLUENT DISCHARGE STANDARDS?

PARAMETER  SURFACE WATER   PUBLIC SEWER    PUBLIC MARINE
pH	6.0 -9.0	6.0 – 9.0	6.0 – 9.0
BOD ( mgO2/l)	30	350	150
COD ( mgO2/l)	50	1000	250
Suspended solids (mg/l)	30	400	–
Detergents (mg/l)	–	<30	–
Cyanide(mg/l)	<0.2	<0.5	<0.2
Mercury(mg/l)	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01
Chromium(mg/l)	<0.01	<0.01	<0.01
Lead(mg/l)	<0.1	<1.0	<1.0
PCB’s (mg/l)	<0.003	–	–
Pesticides	Absent	Absent	Absent
Oil and grease	Absent	Absent	Absent
Colour	Not objectionable

Laboratory services achievements

• Establishment and operationalization of 7 labs nationally
• Establishment of 3No. satellite Labs in Muranga, Kerugoya and Naivasha
• Capacity building of staff through trilateral among GIZ, WRA and Israel Government
• Upgrading of equipment for Isotope analysis

Why you need our services

• Improved Water Resources Information Knowledge base
• Public Health and Safety
• Protection of water resources quality from adverse impact

For more information contact

Assistant Technical Coordination Manager (ATCM) Central Water Testing Laboratories

Industrial Area – Off Dunga Road

Tel: 0773903729

Email: cwtl@wra.go.ke