Safe Water for Excel Students
March 18, 2021
Thank you for bringing safe water to Excel Junior School, Mbirizi Village, Uganda!
Before:
For the students and staff at Excel Junior School, the single most needed school supply is clean water. Every day, children make the 15 minute walk through dense vegetation and along steep pathways to collect drinking water from a run-off pit which has a strong odor and a color leaving no question as to the safety of its water. Students routinely find livestock and other animals already drinking from and relieving themselves next to the water source by the time they arrive. In order to safeguard the health and well being of their young students and redeem lost classroom time, the head staff at Excel Junior School have requested a rainwater collection system from our implementing partner, the Ugandan Water Project. By equipping Excel Junior School with health, safety, and greater educational opportunities through a rainwater collection system, we will have a lasting impact on the school’s current and future students.
Project:
Our implementing partner, Ugandan Water Project, erected a 10,000 liter polyethylene tank on a base made of brick, hard core and cement. Once cured, the crew placed the tank on the base, made an overflow hole in the top of the structure and attached a pipe to it that extends six inches beyond the perimeter of the base. Crew members also attached face boards to the roof of the building adjacent to the tank in order to create a suitable surface to which they attached the gutters that allow water to flow from the metal roof to the tank. Just before the outlet pipe reaches the tank, a “T” joint was inserted to create a first flush, a rudimentary filtration system that reduces the amount of debris and contaminants that enter the tank. The crew then constructed a protective barrier around the tank and first flush, as well as a tap stand located slightly downhill of the tank. The rainwater collection system is paired with Sawyer Point One water filters in order to ensure that all water collection from the tank is safe for drinking.
Before:
For the students and staff at Excel Junior School, the single most needed school supply is clean water. Every day, children make the 15 minute walk through dense vegetation and along steep pathways to collect drinking water from a run-off pit which has a strong odor and a color leaving no question as to the safety of its water. Students routinely find livestock and other animals already drinking from and relieving themselves next to the water source by the time they arrive. In order to safeguard the health and well being of their young students and redeem lost classroom time, the head staff at Excel Junior School have requested a rainwater collection system from our implementing partner, the Ugandan Water Project. By equipping Excel Junior School with health, safety, and greater educational opportunities through a rainwater collection system, we will have a lasting impact on the school’s current and future students.
Project:
Our implementing partner, Ugandan Water Project, erected a 10,000 liter polyethylene tank on a base made of brick, hard core and cement. Once cured, the crew placed the tank on the base, made an overflow hole in the top of the structure and attached a pipe to it that extends six inches beyond the perimeter of the base. Crew members also attached face boards to the roof of the building adjacent to the tank in order to create a suitable surface to which they attached the gutters that allow water to flow from the metal roof to the tank. Just before the outlet pipe reaches the tank, a “T” joint was inserted to create a first flush, a rudimentary filtration system that reduces the amount of debris and contaminants that enter the tank. The crew then constructed a protective barrier around the tank and first flush, as well as a tap stand located slightly downhill of the tank. The rainwater collection system is paired with Sawyer Point One water filters in order to ensure that all water collection from the tank is safe for drinking.
Check out your impact!
- You brought clean water to 368 people
- You eliminated 7.91 miles of walking per day
- You reduced collection time by 9.33 hours per day
- You replaced surface water with a Rainwater Catchment System
Notes:
- Calculations are based on the number of 20 liter jerrycans used each day at this facility: 8 jerrycans
- One jerrycan per trip to original water source
- Distance is calculated for a round trip, using GPS, as the crow flies
Special thank you to:
Special thank you to:
- Alexandria Young Environmental Activists, VA
- Our implementing partner: Ugandan Water Project
