Improving Water Access in Nkokonjeru, Uganda

Vital Stats

Durham, NC

  • people helped6000
  • People Doing It 15

The Problem

We will be working in Nkokonjeru, Uganda, a rural community of about 11,000 people located in southeastern Uganda near Lake Victoria. The majority of the population is involved in subsistence-based agriculture. The main problem in Nkokonjeru, as identified by its leaders on our assessment trip in 2010, is water distribution. Every member of the village is within 5 km of a water source; however, people often have to wait in line for up to three hours in order to fill their containers, and during the dry season, some of the sources even dry up. During our assessment trip, the gravity of this problem became apparent as obtaining water consumes a large chunk of the locals’ time each day. Students at a Hilltop School must leave class in order to fetch water each day. Duke’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders can help solve the water distribution problems because we have visited the community to fully assess the problem and are collaborating with a local NGO, Rural Agency for Sustainable Development to ensure proper integration of the new technology in the community. As students, we are dedicated to introducing innovative design for a distribution tank, which should be sustainable for at least 20 years and will have a lasting impact on our development as engineers as well as the community. Ultimately, by streamlining water distribution, we can greatly improve the lives of those in Nkokonjeru.

Plan of Action

We plan to build an underground ferrocement water tank at the site of an existing spring box in order to expedite the process of acquiring water in the town of Nkokonjeru, Uganda. Currently, water spews out of pipes at spring boxes continuously. With a water tank, water will collect overnight when no one collects water. This will ensure a steady supply of water during the day and reduce the wait time for people collecting water. The construction of a ferrocement tank will involve the use local materials such as cement, barbed wire and stones for wall construction, as well as an output system so that water can be accessed. The ferrocement itself will consist of cement reinforced with barbed wire. We will construct this tank by first excavating for the hemispherical tank downhill from the site of the spring box so that water can be channeled into it through pipes. One or more outputs will be added to the tank so that water can be withdrawn. Once the tank is operational, water will flow from the site of the existing spring box into the new tank where it will collect continually. When someone arrives to collect water, they will be able to access water out of the tank. If the supply in the tank is depleted, there will be a tap on the connecting pipe from the spring box that can be used so that it is not necessary to wait even longer for the tank to fill. We are currently working to finalize the design of the tank so that it will fit in the landscape around the spring box. During our implementation phase we will be constructing the tank and ensuring that the design is sustainable and easy for the community to maintain.
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Global Health
Water Conservation

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