Kayima Water
Project Summary
Project Name: Kayima
Water
Last Updated: 21
March 2016
Author: Sahr
O Fasuluku
Project Business Case
Project
Overview
|
For full background visit the following links:
Kayima is the chiefdom headquarters for Sandoh
chiefdom in Kono District, Eastern Sierra Leone, situated about 40km from Yengema airfield and 40 km from Mount
Bintumani. It is very remote and it requires 3 or more hours’
travel on bad roads from the main Freetown to Kono Trunk road to reach it. It
contains the central clinic, which serves the whole of the chiefdom and
refers cases to Koidu General Hospital.
In the 1950's a gravity fed water supply
system was constructed at Kayima. The town has extended since then, the
supply can't always reach the new neighbourhoods, but there are standpipes at
many points where people collect water in buckets.
In 2003 Sahr Fasuluku visited the reservoir
dam and took a series of pictures just after the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and townspeople had carried out post-war maintenance and
repairs. They had managed to repair the walls of the dam, line the
floor of the reservoir closest to the dam with cement and excavate a small
portion of earth up to about 5 or 6 metres back and 20m wide. There was more
work remaining to be done, such as excavation of approximately 30m x 20m of
soil, repairs to the stop cock which had seized open, perhaps pruning of
overhanging branches that had formed an almost complete canopy dropping
leaves into the water. About 75% of the original reservoir was completely
filled in by earth and organic material that had been washed in over several
decades. No maintenance work has been recorded since 2003.
In January 2014 brown water collected from
standpipes in the town was producing a smell. Sahr Fasuluku, Bondu Argue and
townspeople investigated the dam and found the previously motorable access road
was overgrown with bush and hundreds of young trees several years old. The
road had been brushed within the past year or so, but it was still narrow and
obstructed. Upon reaching the
turntable it was possible to see the main pipe. Each length of iron pipe was 4 or 5 metres
long and about 6” in diameter. A couple of spare pipes were noticed lying
about in bushes but it wasn’t possible to see if they were cracked or eroded.
The reservoir, estimated to have originally
been at least 40 meters long by about 20 metres wide, was almost full of
organic detritus as was the discoloured water in the small amount of remaining
space, approximately 5 metres by about 15 metres wide closest to the wall of
the dam. Water in the reservoir had surface scum in places. There was
evidence of eutrophication and high levels of total chlorophyll, indicated by
the presence of brownish algal biomass. Assessing total suspended
matter visually, it was not possible to see the bottom of the reservoir pool
even though it was only between 1 metre and 1.5 metres at its deepest, it was
possible to see the bed where it was around 30cm deep or less. The water had
a reddish yellow tint indicating coloured dissolved matter. There was a very
large leak at the left side of the dam wall and severe damage to the concrete
floor of the dam close to the dam wall.
Bondu Argue, Mohamed Kamara visiting from
Saudi Arabia and Sahr Fasuluku assisted the mobilisation of townspeople by
youth groups and chiefs and over two days the town voluntarily carried out significant
excavation of soil and concrete repairs to the dam wall and dam floor, installed a
drystone wall to hold back soil incursion and installed filters to the water
outlet compartment. Bondu, Mohamed and Sahr contributed cement, sand, and
other materials and provided food on the second day of work.
In April 2015 monitors reported; “The water system is very poor. The taps cannot run during
the day time and only a few during the night. No rain yet.” There were an increasing number of leaks in the main supply pipe
from the dam. Last reports received in March 2016 indicate 15 separate leaks.
Townspeople have been making makeshift repairs using tyre inner tubes but
these are temporary and prone to failure. The 6 inch iron pipe suffers from outer and
inner corrosion in sections and is over 60 years old but mostly solid. the distance from the dam to the town is approximately 2km.
Urgent pipe repairs have been requested by
the townspeople who are concerned about the loss of water and drying up of
the supply during the dry season. It is also reported the supply does not
reach the clinic. It is vital the clinic should have a potable water supply.
It is believed the town has no alternative supply of potable water and no
wells. When there is no pipe water, residents drink from rivers and streams
which contributes to high levels of water borne diseases.
There is no apparent water safety and
conservation committee.
|
Business Issue/Opportunity
|
·
Urgent repairs will need to be carried
out in the short term to prevent leaks and protect water security for the
town.
·
Medium term ongoing leak repairs will be necessary
as and when they occur, A water conservation and safety committee will be
necessary in the town to organise ongoing maintenance and monitor.
·
Replacement of pipes or pipe sections, renovation,
grinding and lining of existing pipes will be necessary in the long term (renovation
and section replacement are commonplace in western countries as the cost of
large scale replacement is usually prohibitive). Where the pipes are corroded they will need to be gradually replaced with cement-lined iron water pipes, or individually
renovated by internally grinding and lining their interiors. Replacement/renovation
can be an ongoing process over the next decade with a handful of pipes being
replaced/renovated every few years, or it can be one major project funded by
a large donor to replace/renovate the entire system.
|
Project Business Goal
|
·
Ensure consistent water supply at all times of day
and throughout the year. Prevent water wastage and drying up of dam.
·
Improve water pressure to enable consistent water
supply to reach the health clinic.
·
Ensure town management and hygiene system is in
place and maintains healthy supplies.
|
Primary
Project Objectives
Primary
Project Objectives
|
·
1.
Temporary repair of leaks (up to 15 leaks) using 50mmx10m self-amalgamating
tape at about £14 per leak (two tapes per leak) http://www.drywall-emporium.com/sos-self-amalgamating-pib-pipe-repair-tape-50mm-x-10m-448-p.asp,
plus wire brushes
·
2.
Permanent repair of approximately 15 leaks using the “Perma-Wrap” system http://www.permawrap.com/c/6/perma-wrap US$55 per leak plus wire brushes and other tools. Demonstration
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwUz07ymC64
[ this is
cheaper and easier to apply than the alternative epoxy solutions such as
Belzona 1111 http://www.belzona.co.uk/en/products/1000/1111.aspx between £100 and £200 per 2kg not including
tools and other hazardous materials(2 to 4 leaks per kit) demonstration
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS6tGlDbRsQ
This is a more complicated and expensive process which requires more
technical skill and tools.]
·
Ongoing monitoring and set up a Water Sanitation
and Hygiene (WASH) committee in the town to manage, maintain and monitor water
facilities, supply and quality. This can be duplicated in other towns in
Sandoh
·
Survey and document the current water supply systems and
watersheds and prepare a proposal for major funders
|
Project
Benefits
Project
Benefits
|
·
Consistent water supply at all times of day and throughout
the year.
·
Water wastage and drying up of dam is prevented.
·
Townspeople do not drink or wash eating implements
with pathogen-laden river and stream water
·
Reduction in preventable water borne diseases
·
Water pressure enables consistent water supply to
reach the health clinic.
·
Effective town WASH committee to manage and maintain
equipment and hygiene practises. Community is capacity-built to maintain
sanitary conditions, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) resources and
facilities.
·
Availability of adequate water supply has a direct impact
on health and sanitation
·
Health
partnership between community and regional primary health care (PHC)
providers has been facilitated.
·
Local incentives, regulation and sustainability
mechanisms are in place
·
Local WASH and health knowledge-base is enhanced and
inter-agency knowledge-sharing is promoted.
|
Primary Project Deliverables
Milestone
1 – March to April 2016
|
·
Project is publicised to Sandoh Diaspora donors and funds
raised for short term repairs
·
Funds are raised for permanent repairs
·
Emergency temporary repairs and /or permanent repairs are
completed
·
Formation of local WASH committee is initiated
|
Milestone 2
|
·
Continuing support, training and capacity building
for WASH committee
·
WASH committee has taken on role and responsibility
for management and maintenance of water supplies, equipment and hygiene.
·
Current water supply systems and watersheds are fully
surveyed documented
·
Project/programme proposal for major funders is ready
|
Milestone 3
|
·
Funding secured for major project
·
Major project commenced
|
NB donors and
development actors: Other potential projects that would benefit from your
attention include sponsorship for distance teacher training of existing
teachers at UMC and FMSS, and schools throughout Sandoh, teaching and learning
resources for schools, curriculum development, health clinic resources and
support throughout Sandoh, Agriculture and Business Centres support throughout
Sandoh, Conservation and environmental protection and sustainable farming, development
of the tourist route to Bintumani through Sandoh, road maintenance, cultural
and social revitalisation projects, tree planting and town beautification, etc
etc.
Sandoh: Our green and pleasant land
