Water Resources Authority

Headquaters

NHIF Building, Wing B, 9th Floor

What we do

Water Quality & Pollution Control

WRA controls pollution and improves water quality in the country’s water bodies. This involves integrating land use activities into WRA Water Quality Control programs.

Water is a powerful unique natural resource throughout the world, a source of life, the backbone of growth and prosperity. Unfortunately the world’s fresh water resources are under increasing pollution pressure due to unmanaged solid wastes, improper farming practices, inadequately treated industrial and urban set-up liquid waste (effluents) that flow back into our water resources without being satisfactorily treated or reused posing great challenges in water resources management.

Water resources have been susceptible to impacts that alter its physical, chemical and biological characteristics to the extent of minimizing the optimal potential uses and functions. The division has therefore the duty of conducting field and laboratory bench analyses to ascertain the status of water quality (ambient) and the pollution of both the surface and ground water bodies. The approach is to generate data and information that guides policy formulation and appropriate interventions. What the division does

The personnel in the division conducts water quality and pollution monitoring, surveillances and enforcement of Effluent Discharge Control Plans (EDCPs) in the cases of point sources of pollution; and promotion of waste recycling and reuse. For the situations of non – point sources of pollution, integrated interventions are employed for enhanced catchment protection and conservation efforts that include:

  •  Prudent solid and liquid waste management
  •  Riparian land /buffer zone protection and conservation
  •  Enhanced land vegetative cover and silt trap mechanisms
  •  Modern farming practices that minimizes application of persistent organic pollutants (pesticides, acaracides etc) and nutrient loads

Public services offered
The division is equipped with field and laboratory bench water testing equipment and it provides the following services to the public:

  •  Water quality and pollution data and information to internal and external customers
  •  The water quality and pollution analysis for physical, chemical and biological parameters
  •  Capacity building, training and research
  •  Capital Projects

The projects include:

  •  Conducting the Water Abstraction and Pollution Surveys for water resources protection, conservation and enforcement for compliance to the water regulations.
  •  Marking and pegging the riparian land; and the proscribed structures therein
  •  Development and implementation of Water Allocation Plans for equitable and sustainable use of water resources for various needs and demands.
  •  Athi River Restoration program that covers the Nairobi River basin headwaters all the way down to the Indian Ocean through Athi River Catchment.

The program objectives include:

  •  improve the water quality and ecosystems of the water bodies; Ngong, Mbagathi, Mathare, Kirichwa, Nairobi rivers and their tributaries
  •  enhanced water availability to meet the needs and demands
  •  promote livelihood activities that protect and conserve water resources
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