Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Sustainable Water Development Program for Rural Nigeria
EPA Grant Number: SU833546Title: Sustainable Water Development Program for Rural Nigeria
Investigators: Shannon, Mark A. , Burns, Amanda , Barnes, Benjamin , Litchfield, Bruce , Ilo, Cajetan , Walsh, Daniel , Sawa, Joseph , Fierce, Laura , Somers, Maren
Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: May 1, 2008 through April 30, 2010
Project Amount: $9,950
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2007) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Nanotechnology , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa face the most acute water supply challenges in the world. Nigeria, the most populous African country, has considerable populations without basic access to safe drinking water, with over 50% of the country lacking coverage. The village of Adu Achi, Oji River Local Government Area, Enugu State currently seeks to develop a gravity-fed, distribution system employing groundwater from the Ajali sandstone aquifer. The village and surrounding areas consist of approximately 10,000 people currently relying upon contaminated surface water 3 km from households, on average. The lengthy dry season from November to March, the inconsistent quality of nearby surface water, and the traditional worship of the local water bodies have led groundwater to be selected as the source of supply. The main barriers to developing sustainable water provisions for the region are the lack of electricity, the depth of the aquifer (estimated at more than 500 feet), informal government structures within the community, and economic support.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Remote collaboration of partners, as well as interaction during a 3 week site visit to Nigeria in the winter of 2008 led to the design of a comprehensive water program, as well as implementation of initial infrastructure. Two subsequent implementation trips have taken place in May – November 25, 2008 and June 2009 – present, with one student remaining onsite for long-term stints to oversee continuing work. Regional borehole drillers were found and a productive borehole well was drilled and made accessible with a 27 m3/day capacity submerged pump. Power supply options including wind, solar, biofuels, and diesel generators were investigated and compared, leading to the choice of a 40kVa diesel generator set as the most viable technology. Ferrocement reservoirs were designed and constructed to meet a daily demand of 200,000 liters. A PVC pipeline for water distribution was designed and currently is under construction throughout the community. Tapstands for public access were designed and several have been constructed. Two chlorination scenarios were researched and designed, leading to an intermittent shock chlorination plan to manage biofilm growth and any other contamination risks. Cassava basins have been designed and are planned in conjunction with the women's center of a partner organization. A Water Project Maintenance Committee was formed to oversee the operations and maintenance of the project over the long term, including technical, social, and financial aspects.
Conclusions:
In order to ensure adequate, consistent, and clean water supply to a large, economically-challenged population of approximately 5,000, an innovative and comprehensive program must balance (1) appropriate technical design and implementation of infrastructure elements, (2) coupled with community oversight of how this infrastructure should be built and subsequent management of the system, (3) concurrent with education programs to reduce existing gaps in technical understanding and basic sanitation practices, and (4) yielding enhanced health and quality of life. Implementation and evaluation of this program will provide water for the Adu Achi community, which currently lacks access to an improved water source, while also serving as a basis for other communities, especially similar Nigerian localities, to emulate and adopt similar strategies to develop and manage community water supplies. Work on this project has demonstrated that long-term facilitation of community members and technical oversight are the major necessity for continued expansion of locally managed centralized water supplies.
Proposed Phase II Objectives and Strategies:
The purpose of this project is to improve human health and increase economic productivity of communities in rural Nigeria through environmentally sensitive design of community-based water supply systems. Working from the extensive research, design, and implementation accomplished in Phase I through collaboration of students, faculty, professionals, nongovenrmental organizations (NGOs), and the community of Adu Achi, the main objective of Phase II is to further research and fully execute the design concepts developed in Phase I over the next 2 years. While the project emphasizes multiple priorities by incorporating infrastructure development, health, management, and education; it is this integration of comprehensive design that will allow for the success of the sustainable community-managed water program.
The specific objectives of Phase II are to:
- Continue implementation of the water supply systems, including borehole drilling, generator installation, distribution system construction, and community management.
- Conduct further research and implement community health objectives, including chlorination, education on household sanitation to prevent recontamination of drinking water, and wastewater management.
- Finalize community management oversight structure.
- Continue education programs within the community, collaborating with Nigerian students. Further leveraging of project benefits to extend learning opportunities to a broader audience, creating awareness and motivation for improving life for people, prosperity, and the planet.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 28 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
water, drinking water, groundwater, rainwater catchment, erosion, health effects, human health, disinfection, sustainable development, community-based, participatory, willingness to pay, cost-benefit, survey, hydrogeology, food processing, cassava, cyanide, renewable, solar, palm oil,Relevant Websites:
Engineers Without Borders Project Page: http://ewb-uiuc.org/project/18
NSF WaterCAMPWS: http://www.watercampws.uiuc.edu/
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 Phase II:
Sustainable Water Development Program for Rural Nigeria | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.