The Real TDS Map of Kenya: What Our Field Tests Reveal About Your Water

There is no shortage of opinions about Kenyan water quality. What there is a shortage of is data. Across the towns where iClear's technical team has tested water this year, we have collected real Total Dissolved Solids readings from real boreholes, taps, and storage tanks. Here is what those numbers show.

What TDS means and why it matters

Total Dissolved Solids, or TDS, is a measure of everything dissolved in your water, including salts, minerals, metals, and other substances. It is one of the most useful single indicators of overall water quality, because it captures the contaminants that visual inspection misses entirely.

As a general guide:

• Below 300 ppm is generally considered excellent for drinking water
• 300 to 600 ppm is acceptable, with rising concerns at the higher end
• Above 600 ppm typically signals significant dissolved contamination
• Above 1,000 ppm is generally not recommended for drinking without treatment

These are general benchmarks. The specific composition of the TDS, fluoride, salts, metals, also matters significantly for health.

What our field team has actually measured

Here are the typical TDS readings from iClear's field testing across Kenyan towns this year:

Karen:

Typical range: 150 to 180 ppm. The lowest TDS in our regular testing. Reflects Karen's mix of newer infrastructure and relatively well-maintained boreholes.

Ruiru:

Typical range: 220 to 300 ppm. Within acceptable drinking water range but worth filtering, particularly for dissolved minerals.

Naivasha:

Typical range: 300 to 600 ppm. The upper end is borderline. Naivasha is also a high-fluoride area, which compounds the TDS concern.

Kitengela:

Typical range: 450 to 600 ppm. Consistently elevated. Boreholes in this area frequently combine high TDS with elevated fluoride.

Kajiado:

Typical range: 450 to 600 ppm. The highest TDS readings our team has consistently recorded. Kajiado County contains some of the most challenging borehole water in our service area.

What these numbers tell you

If you live in Karen or Lavington on municipal supply, your TDS is probably acceptable, though it does not capture chlorine, bacteria from storage tanks, or other concerns. If you live in Kitengela or Kajiado on a borehole, your TDS is almost certainly elevated, and likely paired with elevated fluoride or other dissolved contaminants.

In every case, the only way to know your specific reading is to test your specific water source. The figures here are typical ranges from our field experience. Your individual borehole or tank may sit at the higher or lower end.

What an iClear system does to these numbers

A Reverse Osmosis system reduces TDS dramatically, typically by 90% or more. A borehole reading of 600 ppm before treatment will commonly come out below 50 ppm after RO. That is the difference between water that is borderline and water that is genuinely pure. The iClear Standard and iClear Premier are designed specifically for the kinds of TDS levels our field team encounters across Kenya, including the high-end Kitengela and Kajiado readings.

Find out where your water sits on the TDS map.

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