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How to Start a Water Refilling Business in Kenya: Equipment, Approvals and Costs

Herritech engineering teamUpdated 20 October 20264 min read

How to Start a Water Refilling Business in Kenya: Equipment, Approvals and Costs
Pictured: H-TECH 125 LPH RO vending station.
Quick answer: To start a water refilling business in Kenya: find a busy site with reliable water and power, test the water, choose treatment to match it (UF for municipal water, RO for borehole water), install a refilling station (KSh 110,000–KSh 1,030,000), and get county public health approval, plus KEBS certification if you sell packaged water.
Key facts
  • Test the raw water first: it decides UF or RO
  • Size the plant by daily litres ÷ operating hours
  • Approvals: county permit, public health, KEBS for packaged water, Water Resources Authority (WRA) for borehole abstraction
  • Daily: sanitise nozzles, check TDS, log sales and filter changes
On this page
  1. 1. Location and water source
  2. 2. Test the water
  3. 3. Equipment
  4. 4. Approvals
  5. 5. Daily operations that keep customers coming back
  6. Frequently asked questions

1. Location and water source

Good sites are estates with no piped drinking water, busy markets and near schools. Confirm a steady supply: municipal water, a borehole, or delivered water that you store in clean tanks.

2. Test the water

A laboratory test shows total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, iron, fluoride and bacteria. The results decide the treatment:

Still unsure? Read RO vs UF: which should you buy?

3. Equipment

H-TECH 125 LPH borehole RO water vending machine with refill bottles
A 125 LPH borehole RO vending machine: treatment, bottle rinsing and two refill points in one unit.

Current H-TECH water vending and refilling stations:

100 LITTERS WATER VENDING ATM price in Kenya100 LITTERS WATER VENDING ATMKSh 120,000H-TECH 125 LPH 3-in-1 Borehole RO Water Vending Machine price in KenyaH-TECH 125 LPH 3-in-1 Borehole RO Water Vending MachineKSh 330,000H-Tech RO Vending Station 125 LPH price in KenyaH-Tech RO Vending Station 125 LPHKSh 370,000H-Tech RO Vending Station 125 LPH with Antiscalant price in KenyaH-Tech RO Vending Station 125 LPH with AntiscalantKSh 420,000200 LITERS WATER VENDING MACHINE price in Kenya200 LITERS WATER VENDING MACHINEKSh 150,000250 LITERS WATER ATM MACHINE price in Kenya250 LITERS WATER ATM MACHINEKSh 170,000
ModelSize / capacityPrice
100 LITTERS WATER VENDING ATM100 LKSh 120,000
H-TECH 125 LPH 3-in-1 Borehole RO Water Vending Machine125 LPHKSh 330,000
H-Tech RO Vending Station 125 LPH125 LPHKSh 370,000
H-Tech RO Vending Station 125 LPH with Antiscalant125 LPHKSh 420,000
200 LITERS WATER VENDING MACHINE200 LKSh 150,000
250 LITERS WATER ATM MACHINE250 LKSh 170,000
H-Tech 3-in-1 Municipal UF 250L250 LKSh 240,000
H-Tech RO Vending Station 250 LPH250 LPHKSh 490,000
H-Tech RO Vending Station 250 LPH with Antiscalant250 LPHKSh 540,000
300 LITERS WATER ATM MACHINE300 LKSh 190,000
H-Tech 3-in-1 Municipal UF 500L500 LKSh 280,000
H-Tech 3-in-1 Borehole RO 500 LPH500 LPHKSh 550,000
H-Tech RO Vending Station 500 LPH500 LPHKSh 750,000
500 LPH RO VENDING MACHINE(semi automatic)500 LPHKSh 770,000
500 LPH H-Tech RO Vending Machine (Full automatic)500 LPHKSh 800,000
H-Tech RO Vending Station 500 LPH with Antiscalant500 LPHKSh 800,000
H-Tech 3-in-1 Municipal UF 1000L1,000 LKSh 320,000
1000 LPH H-Tech RO Vending Machine(full automated)1,000 LPHKSh 900,000
H-Tech 3-in-1 Borehole RO 1000 LPH1,000 LPHKSh 920,000
H-Tech RO Vending Station 1000 LPH1,000 LPHKSh 950,000
H-Tech RO Vending Station 1000 LPH with Antiscalant1,000 LPHKSh 1,030,000
Bottle Rinser–KSh 110,000
H-Tech 2-Channel Water Refilling Station | Digital Water Vending Machine–KSh 110,000
WALL BASED WATER VENDING MACHINE + BOTTLE RINSER–KSh 242,000
HTECH WATER REFILLING STATION (MUNICIPAL WATER)–KSh 450,000

Current listed prices incl. VAT (updated 20 October 2026). Full range: Water vending machines price list.

4. Approvals

  1. Business registration and KRA PIN.
  2. County Single Business Permit and public health inspection.
  3. If you use a borehole, check whether a water-use permit from the Water Resources Authority (WRA) is needed.
  4. If you sell sealed, packaged water, get it certified by KEBS.

5. Daily operations that keep customers coming back

Watch: Starting a water refill business

Cost of starting a water refilling business in KenyaVideo · 1:10 · Herritech Ventures on YouTube
Water refilling station equipment set-upVideo · 0:55 · Herritech Ventures on YouTube
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Built in our Ruiru workshop: see the water refilling station build journey, with real dated photos →

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start a water refilling business in Kenya?

The main cost is the station (KSh 110,000–KSh 1,030,000 depending on type and capacity), plus premises, storage tanks, approvals and first bottles.

Is a water refilling business profitable?

It can be in areas without safe piped water and with steady foot traffic. Profit depends on daily litres sold, price per litre, rent and maintenance.

RO or UF for a refilling station?

UF for low-salt municipal water; RO for borehole water with high TDS, salt or fluoride.

Do I need KEBS certification?

Packaged (sealed) drinking water must be certified by KEBS. Ask your county public health office about refilling customer containers.

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