Hydraulic ram pumps and Sling Pumps

SPRING PROTECTION IN UGANDASPRING PROTECTION IN UGANDABy John La RocheSpring Protection is a widely used technique in developing countries to provide safe water supply.Conventional treatment of drinking water supplies as is common in New Zealand is not economicallyfeasible for rural populations in developing countries. The ground is usually an excellent filter forremoving bacterial contamination so springs are an ideal source of water supply. However springs can beeasily contaminated by surface water and are often in boggy areas with difficult access.The first step to protecting a spring is to clean up the whole site by digging drainage trenches. Becausethe site will probably be boggy, a hardcore working layer is placed first. Over this there is an imperviousclay layer. Spring water is collected and channeled through a gravel layer to the discharge pipe in theconcrete wall. The pipe is located at a convenient height to enable villagers to fill their containers. Aboveand to the sides of the gravel layer a further impervious clay layer is used to keep surface seepage waterout. A perimeter drain is also dug to channel storm water away from the spring area. Paved access andconcrete steps are constructed to enable villagers to walk down to fill their containers without the risk ofslipping. A drain to channel excess water away is also important.The improvement for villagers collecting their water is enormous. Before a spring is protected, villagersusually have had to cope with of a muddy hole with steep slippery banks, where filling of containers isextremely difficult. You can imagine the difficulties of lifting, and the risk of slipping with a 20 kgcontainer of water out of such a location! With the new spring protections villagers can now walk downconcrete steps, place their container under the discharge pipe and then walk out with their load in safety.Water quality of course is greatly improved by the elimination of surface contamination.Villagers take great pride in looking after their new spring protections, often planting flowering shrubs tobeautify the area. A fence is built to keep stock out and the grass surrounding the spring is kept welltrimmed. A Village Committee who have been elected to represent all sections of the communityincluding women, will coordinate the village firstly to apply for help, then to assist in construction andfinally to be responsible for maintenance through appointed and trained caretakers.Unimproved springs are often shallow ponds or a stretch of soggy ground. These are sources ofcontamination in which mosquitoes can breed - malaria is a real problem throughout Uganda!http://www.lifewater.ca/wfs/ww595spu.html (1 of 3) [1/13/2005 12:48:39 PM]