Nzimbeng Water Project

We officially began the water project in Nzimbeng this week! The same engineer who volunteered to help in Akid has agreed to continue his service in Nzimbeng. He came out for the weekend to begin our plans for the system.

This village is the most remote in the entire clan. To get there we had to take a motorcycle to a certain spot inside the forest, and from there we had to trek. We crossed several streams and rivers, some of which we crossed by using bamboo bridges, and some of which we had to wade through. There was also a lot of mud involved. By the time we reached the actual village we were tired, dirty, and very thankful to be welcomed with a meal.

With the help of several villagers and their eager children, we began to plot out the path the system will take. This involved hiking into the jungle to look at different streams to determine a water source. We have identified two streams that would serve as good sources. One contains purer water and would be a more ideal source, but it is smaller and might dry up during the dry season. The second is larger and will flow in every season, but is slightly farther away. The best news that the engineer gave us is the fact that by using either of these streams, we will not have to use a pump. Gravity will power the system, which is much better for the sustainability of the project. After identifying these sources, we tracked out the pipeline through the village and calculated the necessary pressure needed for the system through a series of measurements involving a hose full of water, a measuring tape, and many people. We also marked where the tank and filter will stand and where the spigots will be located.

Ultimately, the water will be collected from the source river and then flow, through gravity, down to a filtration tank and storage tank. From there, it will go to four separate spigots within the village (one at the school, and one in each of the three neighborhoods). I am very excited to finally start this project, and I know the village is also incredibly happy to begin the process that will bring them water.