Engineering

Diploma in Water and Sanitation Engineering

The Diploma in Water and Sanitation Engineering trains technicians to design, construct, and maintain water supply and sanitation infrastructure, with a stronger civil-engineering framing than the more technology-focused Water Technology diploma.

Students study water supply engineering, sanitation systems design, hydraulics, wastewater treatment, and construction supervision for water infrastructure projects. Skills RequiredWater Supply EngineeringSanitation Systems DesignHydraulicsWastewater TreatmentConstruction SupervisionKey SubjectsWater Supply EngineeringSanitation Systems DesignHydraulicsWastewater TreatmentConstruction SupervisionCertificationsEngineers Board of Kenya (EBK) Technician RegistrationSpecializationsWater Supply EngineeringFocus on designing and building water extraction, treatment, and distribution systems. Sanitation EngineeringFocus on sewerage and wastewater treatment infrastructure. Skills RequiredConstruction SupervisionHydraulicsSanitation Systems DesignWastewater TreatmentWater Supply EngineeringKey SubjectsWater Supply EngineeringSanitation Systems DesignHydraulicsWastewater TreatmentConstruction SupervisionResearch MethodsCertificationsKenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) CertificationSpecializationsWater Supply EngineeringFocus on designing and building water extraction, treatment, and distribution systems. Sanitation EngineeringFocus on sewerage and wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Kenya's ongoing efforts to expand water and sanitation access, particularly in underserved and rural areas, sustain steady demand for technicians who can implement water and sanitation engineering projects.

Training combines classroom engineering theory with field practicals at water and sanitation infrastructure sites, plus a supervised industrial attachment.

Graduates work as water and sanitation engineering technicians for county water companies, NGOs, and construction firms implementing water infrastructure projects.

The programme suits students with strong mathematics and physics grades who want an engineering-focused career addressing Kenya's water and sanitation access challenges.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 80,300
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

6 subjects

Water Supply Engineering
Sanitation Systems Design
Hydraulics
Wastewater Treatment
Construction Supervision
Research Methods

Modules

10 in the programme

Water Supply Systems
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Water supply and distribution including system design, installation, maintenance, and water quality management for infrastructure.
Sanitation Engineering
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Sanitation and sewerage systems covering construction, operation, performance testing, and maintenance of engine systems.
Communication Skills
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Written and oral communication skills for professional workplace communication and effective correspondence.
Information Communication Technology
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Computer applications and digital literacy for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Water Supply Engineering
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Design and construction of water supply infrastructure for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Hydraulics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Fluid mechanics principles applied to water systems for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Sanitation Systems Design
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Designing sewerage and sanitation infrastructure for urban and rural for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Wastewater Treatment
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Principles of treating wastewater before discharge or reuse for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Construction Supervision
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Supervising the construction of water and sanitation infrastructure for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Industrial Attachment
Year 3Semester 26 creditsCore
Supervised placement with a water company, NGO, or construction firm for professional practice and competency development in the field.

Specialisations

Water Supply Engineering
Focus on designing and building water extraction, treatment, and distribution systems, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Sanitation Engineering
Focus on sewerage and wastewater treatment infrastructure, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Wastewater Treatment Engineering
Focus on wastewater treatment plant design, treatment processes, effluent quality management, and environmental compliance within Kenyan water and sanitation regulations.
Rural Water Supply
Focus on rural water supply systems, borehole engineering, rural pipeline design, and community water projects within Kenyan rural water development programmes.

A day as a student

Days combine engineering theory with field practicals at water supply and sanitation infrastructure sites, plus design exercises for water and wastewater systems.

The trade offs

In its favour

Addresses a genuine national priority as Kenya works to expand water and sanitation access.
Possible need-based scholarships tied to committing to sector employment.

Against it

Field roles often require travel to underserved rural or peri-urban areas.
Overlapping titles with Water Engineering and Water Technology diplomas can create confusion when comparing programmes.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public67k to 80k

67k at Kabete National Polytechnic80k at Kenya Water Institute

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KEWI 80,300/yr (kewi.go.ke); TVET 67,189. Private unverified.

Students can access HELB loans and county bursaries; KEWI offers need-based scholarships tied to committing to work in the water and sanitation sector after graduation.

Funding options

HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
Loan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited diploma programmes.
County Government Bursaries
Bursary
Bursaries for needy students from their respective counties.

Scholarships

2 recorded

County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Bursaries for needy students from their respective counties.
HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited diploma programmes.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C-
Alternative entry: A craft certificate in water engineering or a related field from a recognised institution.

How you are assessed

3 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Coursework30% of the mark
Tests across water and sanitation engineering units.
Field Practicals
Coursework20% of the mark
Assessed site-based water/sanitation infrastructure exercises.
Final Examinations
Examination50% of the mark
End-of-semester written examinations.

Accreditation

Examined by KNEC; offered at water-sector specialist institutions including Kenya Water Institute.

Accredited by

Kenya National Qualifications Authority
Qualification recognitionRequired
Recognised under Kenya's TVET qualifications framework.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Sanitation Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 42,000 to Ksh 80,000
Designs and manages sanitation systems, wastewater treatment, and environmental sanitation infrastructure for water companies and counties in Kenya.
Wastewater Treatment Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 85,000
Designs and manages wastewater treatment systems, monitors effluent quality, and ensures environmental compliance for water utilities in Kenya.
Water and Sanitation Engineering Technician
Moderate demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 46,000
Supports design and construction of water and sanitation infrastructure.
County Water Company Technician
Moderate demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 44,000
Maintains water supply and sanitation systems for a county water utility.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as water and sanitation engineering technicians for county water companies, NGOs, and construction firms.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SWMM
Hydraulic modelling softwarePrimary
Storm Water Management Model for simulating wastewater and drainage system hydraulics and water quality.
AutoCAD
Design softwarePrimary
Computer-aided design software for drafting sewerage layouts, wastewater treatment plant plans, and sanitation infrastructure.
EPANET
Hydraulic modelling software
Water distribution modelling software for simulating water supply networks in sanitation projects.
Microsoft Excel
Data analysis
Wastewater flow calculations, water quality data analysis, and treatment process monitoring.
GPS Surveying Equipment
Surveying tools
GPS and total station instruments for sewer line route mapping and sanitation infrastructure surveying.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Water and sanitation engineering only covers rural boreholes.
It spans urban water supply networks, sewerage systems, and wastewater treatment plants alongside rural water access projects.
This is identical to the Diploma in Water Technology.
Water and Sanitation Engineering leans more toward civil-engineering infrastructure design and construction, while Water Technology has a broader technical/operations framing.