Water Blogged

Thank you for bringing safe water to Kisowera Primary School, Lukojo, Uganda!

A borehole well is a simple hand pump well that typically ranges from 30 to 250 ft deep. Even though this mechanical pumping system is the most common method of water delivery across Africa, the wells include so many moving parts and endure so much natural wear and tear that many fall into disrepair after only a couple of years of regular use. Additionally, many broken boreholes in Uganda use cheap galvanized pipes, which are not only prone to corrosion and rupture (leading to untenable ongoing costs for replacement after replacement), but also have been known to leak heavy metals into the drinking water. By bringing in our crew to repair the broken parts of the Kisowera Borehole, upgrading its materials to stainless steel, and working with the community’s leaders to train them in how to care for it, we will fix the primary water source and prevent similar problems from occurring in the future.

The Ugandan Water Project (UWP), our implementing partner, disassembled the existing hand pump, pulled pipes from the borehole with the help of volunteer community labor, and took well-depth measurements to determine the static water level and the borehole depth. After depth measurements were taken, the borehole was developed by removing any build-up which may have been inhibiting borehole recharge. Using the compressor and lengths of hose, air was forced into the borehole, displacing and blowing out water, silt, and any debris that had accumulated over time. After the borehole was blown out, UWP lowered the cylinder, first pipe, and first rod into the borehole. A leak test was completed by filling the entire first pipe with water and checking for water loss. The remaining pipes and rods were placed in the hole with the help of community labor and after all pipes and rods were lowered, a member of the UWP crew assembled the pump head.

Thanks to Bank Street School for Children in NY for supporting this project!