Packaged and engineered sewage treatment plants for developments beyond the sewer network — sized, specified and supervised to treat wastewater safely and meet effluent discharge requirements.
Service Overview
What we deliver
Large parts of Nairobi — and most towns across the region — sit beyond the trunk sewer network. For hotels, apartment developments, hospitals, schools and industrial facilities, on-site sewage treatment is both a licensing condition and an operational necessity. TechMEPi Engineering designs, specifies and supervises sewage treatment plants that work reliably, protect the environment and satisfy the regulator for the life of the development. We handle the complete wastewater chain: building drainage, pumping stations and rising mains through to the treatment works and the final discharge point.
Right size, right technology
An undersized plant fails quickly and unpleasantly; an oversized one wastes capital and struggles to sustain biological treatment at low load. We size plants from first principles: population equivalent, per-capita water demand, peak flow factors and the organic load the facility will actually generate. We then select the treatment train to suit the site — extended aeration activated sludge, moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR), sequencing batch reactors (SBR) or membrane bioreactors (MBR) where a compact footprint or high effluent quality is required. Packaged plant, civil-built works or a hybrid of the two: the technology follows the load, the ground conditions and the operator's capability, never the other way round.
Our approach
Wastewater characterisation and flow balancing before technology selection
Hydraulic profile design from inlet works to final discharge point
Screening, grit removal and equalisation to protect the biological stage
Aeration, clarification and disinfection sized for the true design load
Sludge handling with a realistic, lawful disposal route
Odour control and plant siting that respect neighbouring buildings
Treated effluent reuse for irrigation and flushing where quality allows
What we deliver
We provide design reports and sizing calculations, process flow diagrams, plant layouts and hydraulic profiles, specifications and tender documentation, and independent evaluation of contractor and vendor proposals — valuable in a market where packaged plants are often sold on price rather than process. During construction we supervise civil, mechanical and electrical installation, then oversee commissioning and process proving until the plant meets its effluent targets consistently. Handover includes as-built documentation and clear operation and maintenance requirements. For existing plants that smell, foam or fail sampling, we carry out condition assessments and design targeted upgrades.
Standards and compliance
Plants are designed to meet NEMA effluent discharge standards in Kenya and the equivalent environmental requirements of the other countries where we practise, with reuse schemes guided by WHO recommendations on the safe use of treated wastewater. Discharge licensing depends on demonstrable, sustained performance — which is why we put as much engineering effort into commissioning and process proving as into the original sizing. Led by a registered Professional Engineer with 18+ years in building services, and with project experience across six countries, TechMEPi brings the same discipline to wastewater that we bring to every other system in the building.
Tender documentation and independent vendor evaluation
Construction and installation supervision
Commissioning and process proving oversight
Effluent reuse design for irrigation and flushing
From our installations
System Schematic
Sewage treatment — inlet to safe discharge
01Inlet ScreeningGrit removal
02BalancingFlow equalisation
03AerationBiological stage
04ClarifierSettlement
05DisinfectionTo NEMA limits
06Discharge / ReuseIrrigation
FAQ
Common Questions
How do I know what size of treatment plant my development needs?
Sizing starts with population equivalent — how many people the development serves and how much water they use — plus peak flow factors and any non-domestic loads such as kitchens or laundries. We calculate this from your architectural schedules rather than rules of thumb. Oversizing wastes capital; undersizing guarantees odour, complaints and failed effluent tests.
What happens to the treated water?
It is either discharged under an environmental licence or reused. Where the treated effluent meets the required quality, reuse for landscape irrigation and toilet flushing is a practical way to cut mains water demand — particularly for hotels and large residential estates. We design the tertiary treatment, storage and separate distribution needed to do this safely.
Our existing plant smells and fails tests. Can it be fixed?
Usually, yes. Most failing plants are overloaded, poorly aerated or operated without process control — problems that show up clearly in a structured condition assessment. We measure actual flows and loads, review each treatment stage against them, and design targeted upgrades: additional aeration, improved settlement, better sludge management or, where necessary, an extension. Replacement is the last resort, not the first recommendation.
Should we buy a packaged plant or build in civil works?
It depends on scale, site and operations. Packaged plants suit small to medium developments and phased projects; civil-built works often make sense at larger scale or where local fabrication is economical. We are independent of all vendors, so our advice follows the load and the life-cycle cost — and we evaluate supplier proposals against the process design, not the brochure.
