6.2 Water

6.2.1 Role and Scope of Key Actors

The main activities, scope/technical capabilities in terms of parameters tested, equipment and personnel necessary for the implementation of water pollution standards were identified as outlined below.

(i) Ministry of Water Resources (MWR)

Water Quality and Pollution Control (WQ & PC) Division

The role of WQ & PC Division is ensuring pollution control,
monitoring water quality, control and surveillance of drinking water quality; and water and waste-water analysis.
The central water testing laboratory carries out various physico-chemical and bacteriological analysis covering most of the parameters proposed for standardisation, except for detergents, oils and grease; phenols, heavy metals, ammonia, total nitrogen and phosphorus.

(ii) Government Chemist Department

The main role in water pollution is testing of water and waste-water. The water laboratory is gazetted, is well equipped and is capable of handling all analyses as proposed in Section 5.1.4. The staff consist of analytical chemists and technologists.

(iii) Ministry of Health: Environmental Health Division

The Division, formerly known as the Public Health Department, is responsible for addressing all environmental health issues as they relate to the well-being of the public including environmental pollution. The Environmental Pollution Section deals with the control and elimination of public health nuisances including formulating standards for their control.

The Public Health Laboratory can handle microbiological and physico-chemical testing of water for surveillance and monitoring purposes; however, the laboratory is not gazetted/accredited. Provincial medical laboratories are equipped to handle water pollution testing. Staff are deployed up to locational level. In the latter case, equipment is lacking and water samples are sent to provincial laboratories or to the national laboratory in Nairobi.

(iv) Mines and Geology Department
The Department has three laboratories that deal with the assay of mineral and rock samples. In addition, water samples are analysed for heavy metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The laboratories are currently experiencing a shortage of staff for their routine work. An additional four chemists, two technologists and two technicians are required. The laboratory is accredited. Other constraints include lack of competent firms to service and maintain the equipment. There is need to train technicians in instrument servicing and maintenance. The Department collaborates with UON/INS, KIRDI, KEBS, among others, on analytical issues.

(v) Nairobi City Council (NCC): Water and Sewerage Department

The NCC has three laboratories. The Kabete laboratory mainly deals with drinking water quality control. The Kariobangi laboratory deals with river water quality monitoring while the sewage treatment works laboratory
at Ruai deals with effluent analysis, inspection of industries and enforcement of city bye-laws to ensure compliance with issued guidelines. The laboratories are not accredited and any sample meant to serve as evidence in a court of law is analysed at the Government Chemist laboratories.

The Ruai laboratory tests for BOD, nitrates, ammonia, pH, COD, suspended solids and chlorophyll. Heavy metal analysis is carried out at the Kabete laboratory. The test methods used are from the APHA "Standard Methods" book, 15 th edition. The sewage laboratory is under-staffed comprising only two chemists and two technologists. Inspection of industries is constrained by logistical problems such as transport.

Formal and informal collaboration is maintained with the Government Chemist, Kenya Medical Research Institute, MWR, and Habitat, among others.

(vi) Twiga Chemical Industries

Twiga Chemical Industries manufacture fertilizers, bactericides, and veterinary medicines. The company formerly a subsidiary of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Limited, still operates under the corporate environment
policy and standards issued by ICI. The ICI standards are more stringent in comparison to the guidelines/standards issued by the Nairobi City Council (NCC). The present effluent quality does not meet the ICI standards, but meet those of NCC for discharge into public sewers. Twiga has a laboratory capable of analysing COD, suspended solids, and paraquat.

(vii) Kenya Agricultural Research Institute: National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL)

NARL carries out research in agriculture related fields. The laboratories are well equipped and can handle most of the parameters proposed for standardisation and has adequate staff.

(viii) University of Nairobi: Institute of Nuclear Science (INS)

The INS is a research institution capable of carrying out trace metal and pesticide residue analysis in water using X-ray analysis. The facility is ideal for baseline data collection.

(ix)Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM)
Besides representing the interests of manufacturers, KAM acts as a watch-dog on environmental issues and gives technical guidance, education and encouragement to its members to adhere to environmental guidelines. The small team of staff has portable field testing equipment for monitoring effluent water quality.

(x) Kenya Bureau of Standards

KEBS is responsible for setting and enforcement of standards. It has facilities for analysis of water and waste-water it does not undertake pollution control activities.

6.2.3 Collaboration and Pooling of Resources

The national institutions which were visited were found to have established both formal and informal collaboration for sharing of resources. This is especially so with regard to analytical facilities and during the prosecution process. For example, in some cases the Ministry of Water Resources and the Environmental Health Division of Ministry of Health jointly prosecuted polluters under both the Public Health and the Water Acts in order to strengthen their cases. This kind of collaboration should be encouraged and supported to facilitate the successful implementation and enforcement of environmental standards. As mentioned before, a coordinating agency would probably be suitable in enhancing such collaboration.