Borehole & Water Systems Technician
Installs, maintains and repairs boreholes, water pumps, filtration systems and rural water supply infrastructure. Critical for Kenyas water access, serving households, farms and communities off the municipal water grid.
- AI exposure
- 22 of 100, low exposure
- Hiring trend
- Rising
- Hiring rate
- 55%
The role
What the work is, what it pays, and what it costs you.
At a glance
- Remote friendly
- No
- Freelance potential
- High
- Time to senior
- 5 years
- Adaptation level
- Moderate
A day in the role
Installs a submersible pump in a newly drilled borehole, tests water quality from a rural supply, repairs a faulty pressure tank, and sizes a pump system for a farm irrigation project.
What it pays
Kenyan market, per month- Entry
- KES 40,000-60,000
- Mid
- KES 70,000-120,000
- Senior
- KES 140,000-240,000
Exposure
How much of this a machine can already do, and how that was worked out.
Where this rating sits
1,516 rated careersRated above 15% of the 1,516 careers in the catalogue, which averages 43. Inside trades & vocational the mean is 11, across 66 careers.
What the rating is made of
Share of recorded tasks- Machine does it
- 5%Software can already complete this work end to end.
- Machine assists
- 15%A person still decides, but the drafting is done for them.
- Person does it
- 80%Judgement, relationships and accountability that do not transfer.
Named task by task
Already automated
- Generating borehole logging reports
- Producing pump sizing calculations
Still human
- Drilling and casing boreholes
- Installing submersible and surface pumps
- Setting up water filtration and treatment
- Repairing pump systems
- Conducting water quality testing
Getting in
The routes into the role and what each one asks for.
What to study
8 courses- Certificate in Metal Processing TechnologyKsh 42,600a year
- Artisan in Building TechnologyKsh 67,189a year
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- Artisan in Front Office OperationsKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in HorticultureKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Land SurveyingKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in MasonryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Refrigeration and Air ConditioningKsh 67,189a year
How people get in
Water engineering diploma
2-3 yearsMedium cost
Diploma from a technical institute
Pump technician training
1-2 yearsLow cost
Manufacturer training (Davis & Shirtliff, Grundfos)
Who hires
- Water drilling companies
- Davis & Shirtliff
- Boreal Water
- Self-employment
- County water departments
Common misconceptions
Its just pumping water
It involves geology, water chemistry, pump engineering and water treatment — a multi-disciplinary trade.
Boreholes are simple
Proper borehole construction requires geological survey, casing, gravel packing and pump sizing — not just drilling a hole.
What happens next
How the role changes from here, and where it leads.
Supply and demand
- Demand
- 55
- Supply pressure
- 12
- Balance
- High demand
What to learn
- Solar pump systems
- Water treatment
- Borehole geology
Related careers
Kenyan market notes
Borehole drilling is booming in Kenya as counties and households seek water independence. Companies like Davis & Shirtliff and Boreal Water are major employers. Solar-powered pumps are a growing segment.
Further reading
This role is rated 22 out of 100 today. Save it and the app keeps that number, then tells you by how much it has moved when the record is next reviewed.