Water Trucks in Kenya: Is It Actually Safe to Drink?

Independent testing of water trucks in Nairobi found coliform bacteria in over 60% of samples. Truck water should always be treated before drinking.

Who Uses Water Trucks Water?

A significant portion of households and businesses in Nairobi, Mombasa and other urban centres supplement, or entirely depend on, water delivered by tanker trucks, locally known as lorries. This is particularly true during water rationing, in peri-urban estates without piped connections and in informal settlements.

AFIDEP estimates that approximately 3.9 million urban Kenyans use water purchased from vendors or trucks as their primary supply.

What Testing Has Found

Research published in the East African Medical Journal tested bowser water samples from 12 routes across Nairobi and found:

Source: Microbiological quality of water sold by vendors in Nairobi, East African Medical Journal.

Why Bowser Water Can Be Contaminated

• Tanker trucks often carry non-potable industrial water as well as drinking water, using the same compartments without adequate cleaning between loads.
• Tanks are rarely fully emptied between deliveries; residual water in the bottom supports bacterial growth.
• Flexible hoses used to fill household tanks are commonly stored on the ground, contaminating the fill line.
• Drivers may top up trucks from unregulated or partially treated sources during periods of high demand.

Safe Storage Practices if You Use Bowser Water

If bowser water is your primary source, these practices reduce contamination risk until a permanent solution is in place:

• Use a clean, covered storage tank, ideally with a tap, not an open scoop.
• Treat stored water with sodium hypochlorite (jik) at a rate of 1 ml per 10 litres, then allow 30 minutes contact time before use.
• Run all drinking and cooking water through a point-of-use RO purifier.
• Clean your storage tank quarterly, sediment accumulation at the base harbours pathogens.

The Case for On-Site Purification

A point-of-use RO purifier connected to your household tap treats water regardless of its source, whether municipal, borehole or bowser, so you have consistently safe drinking water even when your supply quality varies. The iClear Standard purifier is designed precisely for this scenario: it handles variable input quality and produces verified safe output at the tap.

Q: Can I identify unsafe bowser water by colour or smell?

A: Not reliably. Coliform bacteria and E. coli produce no visible colour or odour. Laboratory testing or on-site purification is the only reliable safeguard.

Q: Is it legal to sell untreated bowser water in Nairobi?

A: It is not. WASREB regulations require all commercial water vendors to supply treated water meeting Kenya Bureau of Standards KS EAS 12. Enforcement remains inconsistent.

Treat any water source, reliably

iClear purifies municipal, borehole and bowser water to KS EAS 12 standard at every pour. Find out more.