post implementation report chapter: yale … noah mccoll mentor #1 david sacco mentor #2 jeremy...

© 2007 Engineers Without Borders – USA. All Rights Reserved of 37

Document 526

POST IMPLEMENTATION REPORT

CHAPTER: Yale Student Chapter

COUNTRY: Cameroon

COMMUNITY: Kikoo, Bui

PROJECT: Kikoo Water Project

PREPARED BY Noah McColl, Elizabeth Marshman, Saalem Adera, Rohan Agarwal, Jonathan Yeh, Dana Miller, Dacia Thompson

Submittal Date: 02/00/2010

ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS-USA

www.ewb-usa.org

Document 526 - Post Implementation Report

Yale Student Chapter

Kikoo Water Project


Post Implementation Report Part 1 – Administrative

Information

1.0 Contact Information (Contac Info. Deleted for On-line Use)

Name Email Phone Chapter

Project Lead Elizabeth

Marshman

President Noah

McColl

Mentor #1 David

Sacco

Mentor #2 Jeremy

Smith

Faculty Advisor William

Mitch

Health and Safety

Officer #1

David

Sacco

Health and Safety

Officer #2

Dacia

Thompson

NGO/Community

Contact

Father

Daniel

Education Lead Dieudonne

Tanayen

2.0 Travel History

Dates of Travel Assessment or Implementation Description of Trip

January 2007 Assessment -Community introduction and consultation

-Surveying catchment and storage tank

area.

-Catchment water testing

August 2007 Implementation -Construction of 20,000 L water storage

tank

-Community education on sanitation and

hand-washing and system maintenance

January 2009 Assessment/Implementation -Inspection of existing system. Surveying

for expansion of water distribution network

-Continuing construction of standpipes

-Testing alternative spring supplies to

upper Kikoo

-Continued sanitation education and

teaching of water quality tests

January 2010 Implementation -Initiation of construction of a 12,000L

secondary storage tank providing water to



Kikoo Water Project


an as-yet-unserved part of the community

-Continued education and teaching of

system use and maintenance

-Investigation of Roh water distribution

system

3.0 Travel Team (Contac Info. Deleted for On-line Use) Name E-mail Phone Chapter Student or

Professional

Noah McColl

Elizabeth Marshman

Dacia Thompson

Jonathan Yeh

Rohan Agarwal

Dana Miller

Dave Sacco

Jeremy Smith

Saalem Adera

4.0 Safety

4.1 Safety Incident Reports

One member of the travel team, Elizabeth Marshman, began feeling ill on January

1. She subsequently developed a fever and began vomiting in the early morning of

January 2, at which time she was escorted to Banso Baptist Hospital and given

medical attention. After 3 days and 2 nights of rest and intravenous re-hydration,

she was discharged from the hospital, feeling fine but fatigued.

Several other members of the team experienced, at various points, malaise and

nausea, but none of these cases were severe and were quickly resolved.

5.0 Budget

5.1 Cost

Expense Total Cost

Airfare 1,9081

Pre-Trip Expenses 2,537

On Ground 3,864

Materials 4,315

Total 29,797

Airfare is 9 @ $2120/pax

Pre-trip Expenses (Supplies, Medications, Visas): $2537



Kikoo Water Project


Ground costs:

Van to/from JFK Airport: $515

Douala Lodging: $221

Douala Food: $245

Airport taxis: $19

Bus to and from Kumbo: $638

Taxis to and from Kikoo: $705

Food and Lodging for 9 plus 4 in Kumbo: $1206

Exit visas: $191

Gratuities: $23

Hospital Stay: $80

Misc. $21

To be purchased within the next 2 months:

Materials

Cement, 70 sacks @ 7,000 CFA, $1110

Sand, 2 m3 @ 60,000 CFA, $280

Gravel, 2 m3 @ 50,000 CFA, $230

Rebar, 29 12m bars @ 4,400 CFA, $285

Fittings, assorted, $110

63 mm NP-10 PVC pipe, 500 m @ 2,000 CFA, $2300

6.0 Project Location Longitude: 10°41′6″E

Latitude: 6°12′18″N

Post Implementation Report Part 2 – Technical Information

1.0 INTRODUCTION This document outlines the findings, actions taken, and goals achieved during EWB-Yale's

implementation trip to Kikoo, Cameroon in January 2010.

The primary purpose of this trip was to begin construction on a secondary storage tank to provide

the last third of Kikoo with clean water. In 2006, the partnership between EWB-Yale and Kikoo

started work on a water distribution system for the community. The first 2 trips concerned

supplying the lower two-thirds of Kikoo with water from a clean catchment outside of the

village. Most recently, the 3rd trip was an assessment trip to investigate how water could be

supplied to the final, more elevated third of Kikoo. Analyzing the data from the third trip

permitted EWB-Yale to design the final section of the water distribution system. This January

2010 trip initiated the implementation of these designs and followed up on various aspects of the

existing system and the community of Kikoo. The following report outlines the project‟s history,

what was accomplished during our time on-site, and various considerations and findings

regarding the maintenance and sustainability of the project.



Kikoo Water Project


2.0 PROGRAM BACKGROUND The community of Kikoo has historically collected water from polluted streams resulting in

sickness and disease prevalent throughout the village. Originally, the village worked with the

Social Welfare Department of the Catholic Diocese of nearby Kumbo to begin a catchment for a

clean water project. The Diocese has extensive experience supporting water projects throughout

the region, and will provide continuing logistical support for project design and implementation.

The community has continuing to play an extremely active role in the partnership, pressing the

project forward with labor and financial contributions. The initial contact was made by Joshua

Knight, a lay missionary and environmental engineer working with the Diocese. Mr. Knight has

returned to the US but continues to be involved with EWB.

The goal of the project has been to construct a water distribution system for the community of

Kikoo in order to provide a clean and sustainable source of water. An uncontaminated spring has

been located and tapped that provides the source of the community‟s water. The design includes

an overflow tank, a storage tank, public standpipes throughout the community, and a proposed

solution to the problem of bringing water to the farthest third of the village. This last stage of the

project is our current focus. In January of 2009, EWB-Yale conducted an assessment trip to

Kikoo to identify means of providing the final third of the community. From the information

gathered it was decided that a secondary tank would be constructed in the upper village that

would fill up during times of low demand on the system. This trip's purpose is to implement the

designs for this secondary storage tank by starting construction.

The following is a summary of the already completed parts of the Kikoo water distribution

system.

Catchment

Break Tank

Low Point Valve

Primary Storage Tank

Standpipes

Catchment:

The catchment was constructed prior to EWB-Yale‟s involvement. The design is a concrete dam

dug through the soil down to bedrock. Two pipes leave the catchment connecting to the

distribution system. A third pipe serves as an overflow to avoid back pressure within the

catchment. Back pressure was avoided to prevent the groundwater source from seeking

alternative paths due to resistance from the collection system. The catchment is made from stone

masonry with PVC pipe and valves connecting to the distribution system.



Kikoo Water Project


Top left: overhead schematic of catchment, top right: photo of catchment on August 2007 trip,

bottom: side view schematic of catchment.

The catchment area is 2km from the village of Kikoo surrounded by grazing lands. Immediately

around the catchment is dense flora which thrives off of the water source. This source was

chosen because of its flow volume, cleanliness and low risk of human contamination due to its

isolation from the village. To prevent livestock from contaminating the catchment trees from a

local nursery have been planted around the source‟s watershed to act as a barricade. Tests

performed on the water source have shown minimal contamination.

Flow from the spring is dependant on the season. During the wet season (May – October), flows

are much higher than the dry season. The pipe sizing was designed to accommodate peak

seasonal flows of up to 3 L/s., while the storage tank was sized for minimal flows so that even

during the dry season sufficient water would be collected to provide for the entire population.

The minimal flow that has been recorded from this catchment was in January of 2009, during the

dry season, was 0.9 L/s.

Break Tank:

The break tank was designed by EWB-Yale and implemented by local masons. The purpose of

the break tank is to combine the two pipes leading from the catchment into one pipe leading to

the primary storage tank. Two pipes initially leave the catchment because the slope between the



Kikoo Water Project


catchment and the break tank is very shallow resulting in limited pipe capacity. The break tank

also serves as an overflow for the system. At this point in the system if the catchment is

supplying more water than will flow through the outflow, water will overflow and be directed

back into the original streambed. The break tank is influential in the system for allowing greater

flow from the catchment to the storage tank.

The tank also has a clean out pipe and valve. Any sediment that is carried in the water from the

catchment to the break tank and precipitates out at the tank will collect in the bottom of the break

tank. The clean out valve allows for this sediment to be manually flushed out.

Low Point Valve:

At the local elevation minimum between the catchment and the storage tank a low point valve

was designed to flush out any potential build up of sediment. In a valve box made from stone



Kikoo Water Project


and concrete a T-joint allows for this point of the system to be flushed out. A build up of

sediment at this point would reduce flows to the system. On the 2009 trip to Kikoo, the low

point valve was opened and flushed out. There appeared to be minimal sediment build up.

Primary Storage Tank:

The primary storage tank was designed by EWB-Yale and construction for the tank began on

EWB‟s August 2007 implementation trip. Local masons finished the construction after the EWB

group had left. The finished tank was inspected on the January 2009 assessment trip.

The tank size is 20,000 liters. This size was based on a population of 2,000 residents, each using

40 L/day, with a minimum inflow from the catchment of 1 L/s. Though the population of Kikoo

was below 1,000 when the designs were made, a greater design population allowed for the

system to support a growing population. 40 L/day is a figure recommended for an individuals

use by the UN. This figure is for basic water uses only covering drinking, cooking and washing

needs. The water provided from the Kikoo water system is not sufficient to cover further

demands such as irrigation and thus should not be used for these purposes. Basing the design off

minimum flows allows for the system to provide for the entire community even during the dry

season when water sources are low. There is sufficient variability in flow rates from the wet

season (May-October) to the dry season (November-April).

A valve box adjacent to the storage tank allows the water committee to control the system. The

set of valves depicted in the diagram bellow allows the water committee to control overflow,

empty the tank for cleaning, and bypass the tank to continually supply the system while the tank

is cleaned. This is an important facet of the design to keep the system dynamic. The ability to

empty and clean the tank is important in the scenario of contamination entering the tank. Having

a bypass route allows the village to continue using water from the spring while the tank is

cleaned. Controlling overflow is important because of the variability in flows from the spring.

In the dry season some overflow from the tank is allowed to go to neighboring farmers fields. In

the wet season when flow is high from the spring all overflow is directed back into the original

streambed. This is because the fields are already saturated and any additional flow has erosion

potential.



Kikoo Water Project


The tank was placed on the edge of Kikoo where it would be easily monitored by the water

committee and at sufficient altitude to supply the village. Continual monitoring of the storage

tank is important to ensure that the structural integrity does not decrease allowing for

contamination. Also a convenient location facilitates regular water sampling to monitor water

quality. The elevation relative to the rest of the system is also an important design consideration

because the system is entirely gravity powered. Without a reliable source of electricity in Kikoo,

a gravity-powered system was thought to be the most dependable.

Above left: construction of storage tank during August 2007 trip, above right: Completed storage

tank 2007.



Kikoo Water Project


Standpipes:

The original system design had 14 standpipes located throughout Kikoo. These 14 locations

would serve as central points where residents could easily access clean water. After more

extensive surveying on the January 2009 trip it became apparent that water would not reach

proposed standpipe 13 because it was 8 meters above the elevation of the storage tank. The

system has since been modified to place standpipes 13 and 14 in proximity to the secondary tank.

The standpipes are made of stone masonry and cast-in-place concrete. They are meant to be

durable and accessible. A prototype design was presented to the water committee to be used in

the construction of the standpipes. Upon visiting the project site in 2009, it was discovered that

some variation had been made to the original designs; however, they all appeared to be

functioning well. Concrete supports the standpipes which stand 1 meter high. The faucet and

any exposed pipe is galvanized iron for durability against daily water collection and exposure to

UV light. The foundation of the standpipe is also made of stone and concrete, which keeps the

immediate area free of mud and firmly supports the standpipe stand.

Drywells were also incorporated into the original design. These were 1.2 x 1.6 x 2.1 m wells

filled with rip-rap to aid in the ground absorption of any excess water. By allowing the water to

penetrate deep into the ground through the rip-rap the design intended to avoid above surface

runoff. The dry well design failed in the early standpipes because it became clogged with fine

sediments. Once the drywell was clogged ground absorption was no longer possible and surface

runoff occurred. The most recently constructed standpipes have abandoned the dry well design

an now have a stone and concrete base to maintain soil stability immediately around the

standpipe. Water runs off this foundation, drains onto the ground, and eventually is absorbed or

runs off.

Currently 8 out of the proposed standpipes are constructed and seven are connected to the

distribution system. Trenching for pipes to Standpipes 8-12 had been completed by the village

prior to the January 2010 implementation trip, and standpipe construction and pipe installation

are currently under way. Standpipes 13and 14 will be constructed after the secondary storage

tank is completed.



Kikoo Water Project


Above: a completed standpipe with drywell, below: prototype standpipe designs provided to the

Water Committee.



Kikoo Water Project


3.0 TRIP DESCRIPTION The following is a summary of the tasks that were accomplished during this trip. More detailed

descriptions and findings from each task are reported, in the same order, in Section 5.1 “Project

Summary”:

Existing System Walkthrough (pgs. 16-24)

A complete system walk-through was conducted, and flow rates and water quality were tested at

each major component of the system, including all tanks and standpipes. The watershed around

the catchment area was also inspected.

Secondary Tank (pgs. 24-25)

A secondary storage tank for the Kikoo system comprised the official focus of this

implementation trip. Once the location of the storage tank was confirmed by our topographic

survey and through input from the Kikoo Water Committee, the tank site was excavated, and

materials were gathered and prepared for the construction of the tank. EWB-Yale also met with

the plumber, mason, and engineering technician who were largely responsible for the

construction of the main storage tank in 2007. We ensured that they understood our designs and

were ready to handle the construction of the secondary tank in our absence. As intended, the tank

will be completed after our implementation trip is over, and we feel confident that the

community of Kikoo will do so successfully.

Community Education (pgs. 26-27)

We visited all four schools in Kikoo and presented lessons on the disease cycle, waterborne

illnesses, and the importance of hand-washing. We also met with four women's cooperatives to

discuss the importance of sanitation from the standpipe to the home, to demonstrate water

testing, and to answer any questions regarding our work. Lastly, we met with the standpipe

presidents (members of the Kikoo Water Committee) to demonstrate and practice water quality

testing using Petrifilm plates.

Percolation Tests for Latrines (pgs. 28-29)

In anticipation of a potential future sanitation project, water percolation tests were conducted at

two sites in the village, and the possibility of a latrine project was discussed with village leaders.

Inspection of Roh Village’s Water Situation (pgs. 29-33)

Previously, people in the neighboring community of Rohvitangtaa (Roh, for short) made an

unauthorized extension from our Kikoo system to a mosque construction site in Roh. In order to

understand their motives for this extension, we made an assessment of the existing water system

in Roh, starting with the catchment and going to the standpipes, of which 3 are publicly

accessible and 4 are private. GPS waypoints and approximate elevations for important system

components were obtained. We also interviewed key members of the community to ascertain any

problems with this system and any of their concerns regarding their water situation.



Kikoo Water Project


4.0 COMMUNITY

4.1 Description of Community The following is a summary of the various community members and groups who were central to

our trip: Kikoo Water Committee

The 27-person Water Committee, chosen from members across the entire Kikoo community, is

responsible for the overall upkeep and maintenance of the distribution system. The chairman and

secretary of the Water Committee are the main overseers of the project and are two of our key

liaisons in Kikoo. Everyone in the village is entitled to the water provided by the system, and the

water committee has already set an agreement for their rights to the water. In addition, each

standpipe has a designated President (typically the person who lives closest to the standpipe),

Treasurer, and Secretary who live in the area served by the standpipe. Thus, the committee is

able to ensure that dues for water usage and maintenance of the system are being collected fairly.

The President, Secretary, and Treasurer of each standpipe are responsible for coordinating any

repairs on their section of the distribution system.

The Water Committee is responsible for keeping the village motivated for both labor and cash

support. The monthly system dues are used to pay for maintenance and repair; only households

who live in areas currently served by standpipes are responsible for paying system dues.

The President of each standpipe is in possession of the key to the standpipe tap, and is

responsible for turning the standpipes for two hours every morning from 8-10 am so households

can collect their water for the day. The limited access to the standpipes was instituted by the

Water Committee to ensure that all standpipe users are paying their monthly dues and to prevent

water from being wasted. When the standpipes were first installed young children would often

play with the taps and leave them running continuously. As the distribution system continues to

expand, the Water Committee may look into staggering access times to different parts of the

system to improve flow rates.

Right: Members of EWB-

Yale stand with the Kikoo

Water Committee, friends in

Kikoo, our local engineering

partners and contacts, and

other members of the local

community.



Kikoo Water Project


Local Engineering Partners

4 former and current students from the Advanced School of Public Works in Yaounde

accompanied EWB-YSC team members on the January 2010 implementation trip. Ngalim

Adrian Suika and Benoit Ntumnyuy have remained particularly committed to the Kikoo project,

and have made multiple trips to Kikoo to assess construction and system upkeep. They have

expressed great interest in continuing to work with EWB, and possibly forming a chapter of their

own.

Schools

Since the last trip, three new schools have been formed in Kikoo - the Government School (~40

primary and nursery students near standpipe 1), the Community School (~25 primary students

near standpipe 4), and the Family Farm School (~20 secondary students near standpipe 7). The

Catholic School is still the largest with 100 primary school students and an additional 20 nursery

students; it is located across a soccer field from standpipe 8.

Women's Committees

During this trip, for the first time, we had extensive discussions with the 4 women's cooperatives

in Kikoo. These groups, which are often chapters of larger organizations, are composed of

women from neighboring households, who meet regularly to support each other and to raise

rainy-day funds.

Roh Village

The village of Roh, with a population of ~2000 divided into 5 quarters (~3000 in the greater Roh

area), neighbors Kikoo and was an important part of this trip because members of the Roh

community had tapped the Kikoo system without authorization and extended it to a standpipe in

the Sabon Quarter of Roh.

4.2 Community Relations

Kikoo Village

We continued to receive strong enthusiasm and support for our project from the community in

Kikoo, which held a welcoming ceremony and fundraising day to receive our arrival. In the

following days, many villagers contributed time and labor to the excavation of the tank site and

the preparation of materials for the secondary storage tank. Throughout the trip, we had

extensive discussions with the village Water Community regarding many issues pertaining to the

water system, including the maintenance of system components, the periodic testing of water

quality, and the resolution of interpersonal and inter-community water issues. The Water

Committee was very receptive to our concerns, and our group felt that these discussions were

very successful. In addition, we maintained close friendships with many people in Kikoo,

including village elders, active community organizers, schoolchildren, and women's groups.

Roh Village



Kikoo Water Project


The community of Roh neighbors Kikoo, such that the two villages have relations through kin

and through our water project (Standpipe 3 in our system technically serves a portion of Roh,

and therefore, some Roh residents serve on the Kikoo Water Committee). However, Roh is,

politically, a separate village, and it has its own water system, which was constructed about 4

years ago with the assistance of the Cameroonian NGO Strategic Humanitarian Services

(SHUMAS).

During our investigation, we discovered that this SHUMAS system had a number of technical

issues (discussed later in the report). Perhaps partly due to these flaws, villagers in the Sabon

Quarter of Roh have made an unauthorized extension from the Kikoo system to a partially

constructed mosque. As such, there was some tension between the Kikoo and Roh communities

regarding what should be done with this unintended extension. Some members of Roh expressed

their desire to continue extending this offshoot in order to supply a nearby primary school with

water from the Kikoo system. Members of Kikoo's Water Committee had mixed feelings

regarding the unauthorized extension. However, EWB-Yale advised Kikoo's Water Committee

to eliminate the extension and strictly prohibit any future unauthorized extensions, on the

grounds that technical modifications to the system, if made haphazardly, could lead to dramatic

failure in other sections of the system. Indeed, in the previous year, the Roh extension had

(before being built into a full standpipe) been left continuously flowing and had caused water

shortages in the higher parts of Kikoo (Standpipe 1). Thus, we advised Kikoo to eliminate this

and all future unauthorized extensions on technical grounds.

At the same time, we met with a delegation from Roh and expressed these concerns to them.

Despite repeated invitations to members of the Roh community in general, the delegation

consisted entirely of persons from Sabong quarter. We expressed our desire to maintain the

functionality of the Kikoo system by having it serve only the population it was intended and

designed for. Also, we discussed our technical findings regarding the Roh-SHUMAS system

(again, detailed later), illustrating that Roh's water situation could be drastically improved

through some definite modifications, provided that Roh's community made an effort to organize

itself, raise funds, and commit to an all-public system which did not give perks to big donors and

village leaders. Our group made no promise of EWB involvement in these future activities; our

intention was to preserve our Kikoo project by persuading Roh to organize and act to improve its

own water situation rather than take water from the Kikoo system. We learned that, perhaps due

to community distrust arising from the privatized standpipes in the Roh-SHUMAS system, Roh

has had an unsuccessful recent history of fundraising and community organizing. While public

interest in an improved water system is high, EWB-Yale feels that the abolishment of private

standpipes, along with a strong commitment to organize and maintain a water distribution

system, will be prerequisites to a successful community project with or without EWB. We hope

that Roh makes these organizational improvements, and we plan to follow-up with the

community in future visits.

5.0 PROJECT SUMMARY

5.1 Summary



Kikoo Water Project


SYSTEM WALKTHROUGH:

Catchment protection Overall, much progress has been made, because the watershed around the catchment, which was

mostly used as farmland four years ago, has been allowed to lie fallow and is now mostly

protected by a fence. The area around the catchment in particular has thick vegetation. An

interesting aspect of the fences is that a plant very similar to Century Plant (sasaikal in Lamnso)

is frequently incorporated into the structure.

Fence - However, a close inspection of the catchment boundary revealed that there is one place

where a gate is needed to keep livestock from entering the catchment area, as well as a break in

the fence where animal droppings were found along the path, indicating still some livestock

intrusion. The fence is only two-thirds of the way up the hillside that bounds the catchment

watershed, leading to some confusion in the village about whether the protected area extended all

the way up to the top of the ridge or only as far as the fence.

Latrine - The greatest threat to the catchment comes from a crude new latrine (earthen pit with

boards on top) along the path to the break tank. While it is not directly in the watershed of the

catchment, we strongly advised the Water Committee that it must be filled in and that no further

latrines should be built where they could case infiltration into the break tank or pipelines.

Farmstead - At the upper end of the valley, there is a new farmstead which belongs to someone

from Kikoo who is being supported by someone outside the community to farm on the land,

raising concerns about possible latrine or pesticide use. There is some question as to whether or

not he has the legal rights to farm the land - The land for the entire catchment belongs to one of

the village elders, who generously donated it for the water project - and the Water Committee is

pursuing action against him through the Kumbo Urban Council. Just prior to our departure, we

learned that the Water Committee was discussing a resolution to this situation that would allow

the land to be used as an orchard, rather than a farm, provided that no pesticides or fertilizers

would be used and no eucalyptus would be planted.

Eucalyptus trees - A second land use issue exists on the hillside opposite the break tank, where

someone build a fence around a portion of land they were loaning or renting from the landlord,

and sold it to someone from the greater Kumbo region. The new owner has already planted

eucalyptus saplings on the land. Polycarp voiced is specifically concerned that if the trees are

allowed to continue to grow, the deep taproot systems suck up a lot of water. There are streams

in the bottom of the valley which Kikoo might want to draw on to increase their water catchment

as the population grows, which also might be compromised by the eucalyptus. Other concerns

are the erosion and damage to the surrounding area that will result when the trees are harvested

for timber, and the fact that with a shallow spring system with large groundwater inflow, the

taproots systems could actually affect the locations of the springs in the bottom of the valley.

Polycarp reported that the Water Committee has begun looking into this matter but not resolved

it.

Catchment

Tank lid was securely locked, and as of December 31, there were about 8 inches of backpressure

on the line (i.e., top of weir is about 8 inches above the top of inflow pipe). Surprisingly, the



Kikoo Water Project


water level varied significantly over the course of our trip; on subsequent visits to the catchment

the water was barely overflowing the weir. We believe this is due to variability in the spring

supply and not leakage or seepage around the catchment.

According to Wilfred, the tank was last cleaned in November. There is some sediment in the

bottom of the grey inlet pipe and the bottom of the tank, but apparently this is mainly due to

termites building tunnels on the sides of the tank. There are termites living in the surrounding

soil have build small cement-walled tunnels passing across the inside of the tank, which either

disintegrate or are knocked into the tank during cleaning.

Feedback

There is slight seepage along the weir, and we recommended to Eugene that this be patched with

concrete plug cement.

“First overflow”

Observations

There are four pipes coming from the catchment,

two of which end in a natural depression roughly 30

meters below the catchment. The water formed a

pool about 2 meters in surface area (December 31),

was not stagnant, and drained to the streambed that

it would have collected in without the catchment.

In future, it could be possible to increase system

capacity by bringing all four pipes down to break

tank, although new pipe might also have to be laid

from the break to main tank to take maximum

advantage of the increased flow. Reportedly, in

rainy season, the pool is not that much larger, but

the water flows more quickly. On the later visit

when the catchment level was found to be lower,

this depression had almost no water in it.

Right: 2 overflow pipes from the catchment empty

into this pool, which runs gradually downhill and

into the spring‟s natural basin

Break tank

Observations

Tank cover is securely bolted. As of December 31st, the overflow at this point was barely active.

Wilfred reports the drain was last cleaned out in August. There was more sediment here

(collecting on floor of tank) than in the main tank or low point tank, perhaps due to the fact that

the water comes out of the pipe, into the concrete box, and passes back into a second pipe,

making this effectively a mini-sedimentation basin. As at the unofficial “first overflow”, the

overflow here goes into the drainage basin that the water would be flowing into if there was no

catchment at the spring.



Kikoo Water Project


Low point

Observations

The interior of tank is entirely dry. Wilfred reports that the valve was last opened in August.

When we opened the valve, there was a small plug of sediment that cleared quickly. It is not

clear whether this sediment was deposited by water in the system, or if it was simply dirt that had

been deposited onto the exposed sediment-clearing pipe. This tank, like all of the other small

tanks, has a concrete lid secured with rebar loops and a metal bar tightened into sockets on either

side with a wrench.

Feedback

Between the low point tank and the break tank, we noticed a new latrine, which is essentially a

pit in the ground covered with wooden boards. It is open to rain, and one of our collaborators

noted that it would very likely overflow during the rainy season, which could release fecal

contaminants and also cause the boards to rot. The latrine is also in an area that drains toward the

break tank and pipeline, so we brought this potential health risk to the attention of the Water

Committee.

Storage Tank

Observations

On December 31, 2009, the main tank was full, the overflow was gushing, and the water

appeared clear with very little sediment, no staining and no smell. According to Wilfred, the tank

was last cleaned last January. The tank has two curved aeration pipes on top, which are over five

feet tall, which allow air to enter in order to maintain atmospheric pressure, but do not allow dust

to fall in.

The valve box is dry but there is some wetness and white mineral buildup on the wall directly

under and closest to the tank. There is an extra piece of pipe in valve box, which is used when

the tank is being drained for cleaning. However, the inside of the valve box is not clean, so water

draining out of the tank through the box would be potentially contaminated.

So, we inquired if it would be possible to connect the inflow pipe to the outflow pipe (toward the

standpipes), in which case it would be possible to drain the tank water into the system, instead of

it all running into the overflow. At present, the Water Committee tells villagers when the tank

will be cleaned so that they will have time to store water for the duration of the cleaning.

The overflow from the storage tank can move along two possible paths: one through a forested

area that drains back to a streambed, and another towards the village and into villagers‟ gardens.

Lastly, a new fence around the storage tank is currently under construction. This fence will

protect the tank from intrusion and damage by livestock or playing children.

Standpipes

General comments:

Locations- Seven standpipes (1-7) were operational as of this trip; SP 8 was constructed but not

yet connected to the pipeline. As of January 23, four additional standpipes had been cast and

were the process of being completed with faucets and flagstones.



Kikoo Water Project


Overflow- In general, overflow streams are channeled through village, and are used to make

bricks, collect water for washing clothes, collect water for livestock etc. This practice of

channeling is already used in the village with water from other sources such as the Kibunjum and

Bambui streams, so there is a fairly extensive network of shallow channels (~4-8 inches) along

the edges of roads to divert this non-potable water to different areas depending on need and

availability. When the streams cross roads in the village, they erode a deeper channels; Adrian

emphasized that for this reason they try to ensure that the overflow streams are never channeled

across pipe that has been laid underground.

Usage – Mainly children (especially girls) are seen collecting and carrying water, this was one of

the reasons we felt it was important to meet directly with the different Women‟s Committees on

this trip. Polycarp indicated that most standpipes are open 7-9 am and 5-7 pm, however this is at

the discretion of the standpipe presidents and not all choose to lock their standpipes in the middle

of the day. However, the Water Committee has seen that standpipes that are locked during the

middle of the day tend to need repairs less frequently, so they are advising all standpipe

presidents to do this.

Funds – Although the original plan for the water system agreed upon by the Water Committee,

the Social Welfare Diocese, and EWB included monthly maintenance and upkeep payments by

all families using the public standpipes (e.g. 200 cfas /household /month), monthly payments

were currently not being collected; funds are collected for standpipe maintenance door-to-to on

an as-needed basis. Unfortunately, in at least the example of SP 2, it seems that the lack of a pool

of available funds to immediately purchase repair supplies is slowing down the process of

repairing the system.

Rubber hoses – All of the rubber hoses and sticks that were attached to faucets last year to reduce

the spray of water have been removed, and it was gratifying to see that testing showed that the

water quality at the affected standpipes has subsequently improved.

Children – There were sometimes a large number of children playing near standpipes and the

associated drywells. Although this many have been due in part to the presence of intriguing

foreign visitors, residents around SP 7 reported that many children stopped to play at the

standpipe on the way to and from school. This particular issue will be addressed for most

students when SP 8 (by the Catholic school) becomes operational in the coming weeks, but in

general it is necessary to address the fact that very young children tend to drink out of the

standpipe by putting their mouths directly on it. This is an educational issue we discussed with

Dioudenne (Catholic school headmaster) and the Women‟s Committees.

Other sources of contamination –Many sheep and goats graze freely around the village, and in

some areas, particularly SP 6, there was animal feces near the standpipe. Yibeh (one of the

women‟s committees) also mentioned that sometimes people bring dishes to the standpipe to

wash, and that this should be discouraged.

Standpipe 1

Water quality: Clean; no fecal coliform detected



Kikoo Water Project


Flow rate: 0.9 L/s Photo:

Notes: -A lot of spray from faucet -Small amount of rubber tied around the back part of the faucet (water does not flow through it).

Overflow Notes: -Drywell is sloped back towards faucet so water does not drain optimally

Standpipe 2

Water quality: Clean; no fecal coliform detected Flow rate: 1.1 L/s

Photos:

Notes: -On several occasions looked like it was leaking but actually can be shut off all the way. The key used to control the faucet is difficult to turn off (esp. for small children). -According to family living next door to the standpipe, it has been ‘leaking’ for three months, most likely due to worn-out gasket in the turning mechanism for the handle/key which costs 500 cfas to replace. Rubber is tied on the back of the faucet (not in contact with water) to reduce the leak. Leak rate is apparently same in the rainy season. At the time of our visit with Polycarp, this had not yet been reported to the Water Committee.



Kikoo Water Project


-A lot of faucet spray

Standpipe 3

Water quality: Clean; no fecal coliform detected Flow rate: Not available; SP locked on collection date

Photos:

Notes: - No fence yet - Leaking on January 4, but Polycarp had already bought the replacement faucet which was subsequently installed -Leak water was being collected, but not to be used for drinking

Standpipe 4

Water quality: Clean; no fecal coliform detected Flow rate: 1.4 L/s Photos:

Notes: -No leaking! - Faucet is locked and covered with a can that is easy to remove without opening the lock.

Overflow

Notes: -Broken pipe leading from drywell directs water towards overflow -Drywell is apparently still functional

Standpipe 5

Water quality: Clean; no fecal coliform detected



Kikoo Water Project


Flow rate: 0.7 L/s (measured with 1 L bottle; not very precise) Photos:

Notes: -Was open (unlocked) when we visited it -New fence is being built by homeowner next to standpipe -One of the abandoned buildings along the path to sp 5 is the old Catholic church.

Overflow

Notes: -No drywell or direction of overflow, it drains down the overgrown slope immediately in front of it towards a farm.

Standpipe 6

Water quality: Clean; no fecal coliform detected Flow rates: 0.2 L/s Photos:

Notes: -Was open (unlocked) on one visit -On our first visit to the standpipe, there were a lot of goat droppings nearby. After discussion with households nearby about sharing responsibility for cleaning the SP area, the droppings were cleaned up and the area stayed clear for all subsequent visits -Leaking on the third day it was visited

Overflow

Notes: -Drains down across road (in a channel) to Bambui stream.

Standpipe 7

Water quality: Clean; no fecal coliform detected Flow rates: 2.0 L/s



Kikoo Water Project


Photos:

Notes: -New fence. -Stump placed beneath sp allows 20 L containers to sit with tap totally inside to prevent spray, we have emphasized it is important for nothing to touch the brass tap itself. -Feedback from nearby residents that kids play here in the afternoon on the way home from school -They don't cover the tap, but take off the T-key in the middle of the day

Future standpipes:

SP 8 – Standpipe with two faucets (one for school, one for local residents) already installed,

waiting to be connected to water supply

SP 14 - Audilus is the president of sp 14. Wilfred noted that last year Audilus and Didimous

were the only people from this area who attended the Water Committee meetings, now that the

prospect of water is much closer due to the secondary tank many people in the area have come

forward to contribute their labor to the project.

- The Presbyterian Church down the street from the secondary tank is 5 years old, settlement

nearby will continue and they will definitely be building a school, so it would be good if a

standpipe could be built along the road here. There are at least 125 people living in this area (not

including demand for water at church).

Pipeline

- 1.6 kilometers of trench have been dug from SP7, all the way up to the site of the new

secondary tank and toward the future sites of SP11 and SP12. We observed that in some areas,

the trench was as not as deep as is recommended to protect the pipe from UV rays and the

possibility traffic or fire passing over it, so we emphasized the importance of digging trenches

down a full 60 cm.

-More precise survey data collected in January 2009 using the Total Station, rather than GPS as

in the original assessment trip, showed that the system‟s lowest point (just prior to SP4 and 5)

may actually be 10 m lower than we previously believed. Unfortunately, during this trip, we

were not able to check if pipe of adequate pressure rating was installed in at this location. To



Kikoo Water Project


date, water appears to be flowing well to SP4-7. We will advise the community to frequently

check the low point for any leakage indicating pipe failure, and to upgrade the pipe if necessary.

- The original system design called for valves to be installed where each standpipe branches off

the main line, and also in between standpipes, especially in critical low-lying areas. However, to

date, no such sectionalizing valves have been installed in the system. We recommended that in

order to maximize the effectiveness of the second tank, it is crucial that valves are installed along

the main pipeline between SP 7 and 8, between 9 and 10, and between 9 and 11. These valves

will allow the community to isolate a leakage if a pipeline break occurs, and also potentially use

the secondary tank to temporarily “back-feed” water to most of the village, in the event that a

break occurs early on in the system, separating the village from the main tank.

Secondary Storage Tank

Confirmed Tank Elevation In the first two days of work in Kikoo, a team, led by Jeremy Smith, conducted a land survey to

confirm the proposed secondary tank elevation relative to the primary tank. The elevation of this

secondary tank determines whether it can be supplied by water from the main tank and which

standpipes it can service, so we decided that a careful topographical survey between the two

tanks was a worthy use of our time. A Topcon total station was used for the survey, which

revealed the proposed secondary tank site to be 12 m (1998m – 1976 m) below the primary

tank. This is a lower elevation than the one recorded on the January 2009 trip, which the designs

for the storage tank were based on. The tank design was not changed by this new finding; at the

new, lower elevation, the secondary storage tank will simply fill up at a faster rate, and the float

valve should still be able to withstand the pressure of the system when the tank has reached

capacity.

Tank Placement by Community A meeting was held with the water committee to pick a site for the secondary tank. At this

meeting it was explained that the reason for building a secondary tank was because the current

gravity-fed system would only provide a slow flow of water to the upper, eastern portion of

Kikoo. For this reason, the secondary storage tank location could not exceed a certain elevation,

or else it would not fill sufficiently to provide water to that portion of the community. With

these considerations, the Water Committee chose a spot that a landowner had already agreed to

donate for the purpose of housing a water storage tank. This site was in an open field with

relatively flat grade. The only foreseeable issues regarding this site were its proximity to a road

which may be expanded in the future, and an avocado tree. The final site was placed in the field

13 m from the road, leaving an additional 10 m to allow for future road expansion. The avocado

tree was removed, and the site was also placed sufficiently distant from the avocado tree to avoid

unstable soil from root decay.

Tank Site Preparation Tank site preparation began on the Monday of the trip after the New Year holidays came to a

close (January 4). First, an avocado tree had to be removed and excavated from the site; the

owner of the property agreed to the tree‟s removal for the sake of the community‟s well-



Kikoo Water Project


being. Excavation of the land was accomplished using pick axes and shovels by EWB-Yale and

community members. The area being excavated was marked out using with a measuring tape

and sticks in the ground. EWB-Yale members stayed on site throughout the excavation to ensure

that the pit was dug to appropriate depths (1.25 m in the upper bank, 0.5m in the lower

bank). Initially the tank was excavated to a level base. Once this initial excavation was

complete, a cross-slope of 10 cm was added and verified using the total station. The cross-slope

will facilitate tank drainage and cleaning.

Left: 1. EWB-Yale and Kikoo community

members excavate the tank site. 2.

Afterwards, a 10 cm grade is added to the

tank floor. 3. The completely excavated tank

site.

Plans for Completion No further tank construction was completed

in the duration of our trip because not all

building materials were prepared. Sand and

rock arrived at the site during excavation;

however, the pipes from the system did not

yet reach the tank site to provide water for

sand washing or mixing concrete. Also the

gravel from the large rocks needed to be

chipped and the rebar needed to be delivered.

A meeting with the local Diocese‟s

engineering technician, the mason and the

plumber was held before we left to review

the tank plans. This meeting was intended to

answer any questions about how the tank

was to be implemented in our

absence. Because of the poor water access in

that section of Kikoo, the pipeline from the

existing system will be extended up to the

construction site in the upcoming

weeks. Once water has reached the site and

the other required materials have been

delivered the tank construction will

commence. A drainage trench was dug from

the excavated tank site to allow water to

drain in case of a rainstorm; however, the

tank is intended to be finished before the

rainy season begins.



Kikoo Water Project


Community Education

We visited the four schools in Kikoo: the Catholic school (years 1-6, 96 primary students and 20

nursery students), the government school (nursery and primary school), the Family Farm school

(secondary school, run by the community and the Social Welfare Diocese), and the community

school (primary school) to teach lessons on sanitation, the disease cycle, and the importance of

washing hands.

Right: 5th

and 6th

graders show off

the posters they made after our talks

on sanitation and good hygiene.

They are also holding letters from a

sister school in New Haven, CT, and

some of their reply letters to their

new American pen-pals.

We also visited the four women‟s groups of Kikoo: Bongsisi, Yibeh, and two Salamant groups to

discuss the role of women in keeping water clean from the standpipe to the house. Some of the

women appeared to already understand the importance of standpipe and household

sanitation. They expressed concerns about the amount of time required to maintain cleanliness,

saying that working longer hours on the farm is sometimes given preference to washing dishes at

home. Additionally, women in areas of the village that did not yet have standpipes wanted to

know what they could do to ensure that their water is clean until the standpipe water reaches

their part of the village. We advised them to boil non-standpipe water for 10 minutes to ensure

clean water.

Members of Bongsisi expressed surprise that people from the U.S. would come to Kikoo not

only to provide free water but also to provide education to women; they asked about our motives

for doing this project and education for free. Our reply was three-fold:

The system isn't „free‟; the community has contributed a lot in both money and

labor. The problem of clean water was initially identified by the community; they are

also the ones who started the project - it would not have been possible without them.

Since women are the key to making sure that clean water actually gets into the house,

without educating women, all the work of system construction would be wasted.

Since we are engineering students interested in water, we are learning a lot from our

involvement with this community – so the benefit moves both ways.



Kikoo Water Project


We met with the Kikoo Water Committee at the end of our trip to present the findings from our

trip and bring the problems that we noticed to the attention of the committee. At least 24 people

were present at the meeting.

Below: A meeting between EWB-Yale members and the Kikoo Water Committee

Water Committee members actively

participated in the meeting, asking questions

and providing feedback to our

suggestions. Regarding the catchment, the

Water Committee asked why they were not

supposed to farm within the catchment‟s

watershed as long as it was outside of the

area demarcated by the fence (the fence only

partially surrounded the watershed). We

discussed the effect of fertilizer and pesticide

runoff on the catchment water quality

anywhere within the catchment‟s watershed.

A concern was raised about the Water Committee‟s authority to deal with standpipes that are not

in compliance with accepted recommendations (cleanliness, updates, etc.). We reminded them

that the Water Committee has the authority to turn off standpipes.

The Water Committee also stressed the importance of clearly communicating to each standpipe

president his/her obligations and the consequences of not meeting his/her

obligations. Furthermore, the president of KICUDA (Kikoo Community Development

Association) emphasized the distinction between individual actions and actions taken on behalf

of the Water Committee, saying that personal relationships should not be affected by committee

decisions.

EWB-YSC suggested that permanent keys with tin can locks might be a better method of

securing the standpipes rather than removing the standpipe faucet knob and using that as a key

because the latter method puts additional wear and tear on the knob, potentially causing it to

need to be replaced faster in the future. The Water Committee responded by saying that tin can

locks made it easier for children to play in the water, so they have decided that although the

removable keys may wear down more quickly, they are still better. EWB-YSC affirmed the

Water Committee‟s decision and thanked them for trouble-shooting.

Regarding the Roh extension, a Water Committee member was concerned that the people of Roh

had already contributed to the Kikoo system and under EWB-YSC‟s recommendations, they

would not be getting any water. EWB-YSC responded by noting that certain neighborhoods in

Kikoo have donated similar amounts of money despite not yet having received water, and, unlike

the Roh village members, they have entered into an agreement with EWB-YSC. Furthermore,

EWB-YSC emphasized that long-term delivery of water to the areas of Kikoo village with higher

elevations would be compromised by the unauthorized Roh extension.



Kikoo Water Project


Percolation Tests for Latrines

Based on demonstrated community interest, we investigated the potential for a latrine project in

the village of Kikoo. Currently, the latrines in the village are somewhat problematic because they

were built haphazardly: some are too shallow, and overflow during the rainy seasons. Others are

simply uncovered pits with overlying wooden planks; these can be unsanitary or dangerous to

use. Over the summer of 2009, Adrian and Benoit, two of the Cameroonian engineers that we

work with, surveyed the village and learned of widespread community interest in receiving

technical feedback for constructing a safer, cleaner latrine. While we were in the village, we

spoke with key village members that also expressed interest.

To investigate this possibility, we conducted percolation

tests in two central locations in the village. These locations

were chosen because by being in central community

locations the latrines would get public attention and then

might be replicated in other parts of Kikoo.

One conducted behind the main Catholic school (P-1)

demonstrated a percolation rate of 10 minutes/inch. A

second test conducted in a location behind the Catholic

church (P-2) had a rate of 20 minutes/inch. Percolation test

P-2 behind the church penetrated a thin stratum of white,

chalky soil roughly 18 inches below grade that was not

encountered in test P-1 behind the school. Aside from this,

the soil profile consisted of 10 to 12 inches of brown, loamy

topsoil over red and silty clay with traces of fine sand and

fine gravel.

Above: Schoolchildren stand around a percolation test pit (approximately 0.5x0.5x1.0 m deep)

dug behind the Catholic church

- Why are percolation tests necessary for latrine construction?

Percolation test results may be used to estimate the extent of infiltration area needed if

one is designing a waste disposal system that will segregate the liquid waste from the

solid waste, and leach the liquid waste into the soil. For a conventional pit-type-toilet, a

percolation rate is not crucial; but if we want to consider alternate types such as

composting latrines, it could be useful to know the percolation rate of the soil.

- What was the exact procedure for the tests?

Each test pole was dug roughly 30 inches deep and 8 inches across. The holes were filled

with water to a depth of roughly 12 inches, and left to soak for one hour. Water was

added periodically to the holes during this time to ensure that they were properly

saturated. After one hour, the water level was topped up to roughly 12 inches depth, and

the depth to the water surface was measured from a reference point every five minutes for

one hour, or until the holes were empty of water. The results are reported as number of

minutes for the water level to drop one inch.

- How do the results compare, what do they mean?



Kikoo Water Project


The results indicate that there is some variability in percolation rate for one location to

another, but both values are within a range that could prove workable for a system that

assumes infiltration of liquid wastes into the native soils. The variability is likely due to

natural variations in soils from one location to another, the inherent inaccuracies of the

test method, or variations in the soil profile below the depth of the test. For example, if

the native bedrock happened to be closer to the bottom of test P-2 than test P-1, that could

have affected the percolation rate enough to result in the variation between the two tests.

For our purposes, we could design on the basis of the more conservative result, and

perform validation tests at actual system locations immediately prior to starting

construction.

Inspection of Roh Village’s Water Situation

Community of Roh Roh has a population of roughly 3000 people, though we are yet to take an independent survey.

However, unlike the neighboring village of Kikoo, it is more densely clustered. According to

Eugene, the principal in-charge of the Roh Health Centre, the approximate radius of the village is

1.5 km, centered at the Health Centre.

History of Existing System

According to Eugene (Adrian‟s cousin) at the Roh Health Center, in the year 2000 plans for a

joint Kikoo-Roh water system with three spring sources were drawn up by Tala J. from the

Kumbo Urban Development Council; however, these plans were never implemented.

The current Kikoo and Roh systems are fed by two of the three springs identified in this design;

the third (which is indicated to have the lowest flow rate) has not been explored by our chapter.

It is worth noting that according to this plan, the flow rate of the Roh spring is almost as high as

the spring for the Kikoo system (0.8 L/s vs. 1.0 L/s).

Below: Map of a joint Kikoo-Roh water system proposed in 2000 (never implemented)



Kikoo Water Project


In 2006, overseas donors provided funding for a project to supply water to the Roh Health Center

exclusively, implemented through the Cameroonian NGO SHUMAS (Strategic Humanitarian

Service, based in Bamenda). Apparently, due to the extremely high pressure in the system

resulting from poor design, an additional two standpipes were constructed (at the market and the

mosque); the combination of high pressures and low-quality faucets means that all three

standpipes run continuously (if the pipes are not broken) and have become de facto public

standpipes. At the time of the SHUMAS implementation, four individuals who made major

contributions to the project (~25,000 cfas) received private standpipes in their homes. For

example, Eugene at the Health Center owns one of these private standpipes. These private

standpipes do not run continuously.

Left: GPS waypoints collected

during this trip. In-set magnifies

the way points collected in Roh

during the walk from the Roh

catchment down to the center of

the village, following the pipeline

most of the way. (Yellow points

are in Kikoo, purple points are in

Roh, red points are for emphasis of

orienting points.)

Roh Catchment

Location-

The catchment is 1.6 km away

from the health center. There is not

significant foliage around the

catchment except at a distance of 7

m from the actual catchment.

There are ploughed fields,

indicating cultivated farms, both

just above the elevation of the

catchment as well as around it.

Design-

Similar to the structure at the

Kikoo catchment, the concrete Roh

catchment captures water from an

artesian well. An underground

concrete wall was built at the site of the spring, in order to channel the water behind it. The

catchment tank is 2.5 m deep. On the west side, there is an inlet of water through a pipe 1 m

above the floor. On the east side there is a pipe outlet near the floor of the tank. There are two



Kikoo Water Project


overflow pipes, one 0.05 m above the floor, and the other at the depth of 0.5 m from the top.

Pipeline to the health center-

We followed the pipeline from the center of the village to the health center. The pipe itself runs

under dirt paths, many fields, and is, at some stream crossing, exposed. In these places, the

pipeline may run the risk of breakage due to physical wear.

Problems with Roh system Catchment protection

As mentioned above, the presence of farms (and the lack of overgrowth and fencing) around the

catchment poses a risk of fertilizers and animal excreta contaminating the water of the catchment.

Property rights may also be a potential obstacle against improving this situation.

Overflow

At a distance of 19.5m, the overflow pipe comes above the ground and opens up, leading to a

free flow of water downhill. However, the overflow that we observed was minor. We also

observed that this overflow increased in volume as it went downstream. One of the proposed

reasons could be the presence of further underground streams, or other sources of water from the

village join the overflow.

Back-Pressure Against Spring

As mentioned in the tank description, the upper overflow pipe is significantly higher than the

catchment water level in the rainy season, but it was reported that the water level rises well

above the lower overflow pipe. Thus, the upper overflow pipe does not result in actual overflow.

This prolonged build-up of pressure against the input pipe and the spring itself may eventually

render the Roh system ineffective.

Pipeline

Because of the extremely high pressure on the standpipes, all of them are left open and there is

continuous flow of water. This not only causes a waste of water, but does not effectively address

the problem of pipeline-rupture. According to health center contacts, intermittent repairs must be

made to the pipe at various points. The lack of a storage tank to modulate flow, therefore, is one

of the largest shortcomings of the Roh system. GPS reading indicate that the elevation change in

the system is roughly 125 meters, or 25 meters above the pressure rating of the commonly

available PVC pipe (NP-10 rating, or 10 atmospheres pressure). This is consistent with the

reports of regular pipe and faucet failures.

Standpipes

There are seven standpipes in the system, four of which are privatized. In addition to the fact that

the three public standpipes must be left continuously running, village members complain of

inconsistent water flow, which we believed may be caused by airlocks or sediment buildup in

relative maxima and minima along the pipeline, respectively.



Kikoo Water Project


Left: The mosque standpipe of

the Roh-SHUMAS system, a

public standpipe which is left

continuously running. During the

construction of the mosque, its

flow was extremely inconsistent,

causing locals to make an

unauthorized extension off the

Kikoo system to provide water to

the mosque for construction and

prayer services (detailed in

Politics section below).

Politics

Roh Village presents several political challenges which must be overcome if community

development work will proceed as smoothly as it has in Kikoo. Firstly, there are four privatized

standpipes in Roh, which were obtained through by high individual donations towards

construction costs. In fact, the two public standpipes aside from the one at the health center were

made public only because of they are unable to be shut off. Also, Roh does not have a

transparent village committee, which exists in Kikoo. For these reasons, villagers are skeptical

that any money that they contribute to a Roh system would be used to benefit the community as a

whole. This distrust and lack of transparency represents a significant hurdle to productive

community work.

Politics Continued: Sabong Quarter

The Sabong Quarter is the quarter of Roh that is nearest to Kikoo. Last year, the villagers of

Sabong made an unauthorized extension off of standpipe 3 of the Kikoo system, effectively

extending the Kikoo system further into Roh than was intended (SP 3 is in actually in Roh, but

this was intended from the beginning of the project). Reportedly, the extension was installed to

facilitate construction of a mosque, but in the period since the 2009 assessment trip the pipeline

and standpipe have been improved and now appear quite permanent. The unauthorized

standpipe in the Sabong Quarter represents a tricky issue because it sets a bad precedent for

future modifications to the Kikoo system which may be unauthorized and technically unsound.

Additionally, the people of the Sabong Quarter, while receiving water from Kikoo, would have

no incentive to contribute to any improvements in the Roh system. During the trip, we advised

the Kikoo Water Committee to eliminate the unauthorized extension and maintain the integrity

of the Kikoo system. However, the presence of familial and political ties between Roh and Kikoo

further complicates the situation, and EWB-Yale must hope that the Kikoo Water Committee and

the Roh community heed our advice on technical grounds, not political ones.



Kikoo Water Project


Left: The standpipe at the end of an unauthorized

extension of the Kikoo system to the mosque in

Roh‟s Sabon Quarter

5.2 Difference Between Planned and Actual Implementation

We originally designed the secondary tank with a general area in mind. Upon arriving in the

village, we met with the water committee to discuss the tank site. They selected a location that

was slightly lower in elevation in order to avoid problems with property rights (please see map

for location). As we started to excavate the site, we were informed that the class of an adjacent

would be changing and the road could be widened, so we moved the tank further (an additional

10 m) from the road to avoid any problems.

We managed to excavate the entire tank site, but we were not able to actually begin building the

tank. Work on the tank was slower than expected because we were in the village for two major

days of celebration. The first was the annual donation ceremony, and the second was New Year‟s

Day. No work was done on these days, which put us behind schedule. Also, construction

materials were not able to be assembled until later in our trip, when gravel-chipping for concrete

was begun. Lastly, pipeline had not yet been extended to the tank site, and we thus did not have a

convenient source of water to make concrete. Despite these obstacles, we were able to meet with

Damian and the other crucial members of the construction team (plumbers, masons, and others

who were involved in building the main tank in 2007) to discuss the plans in detail, and we are

confident that they will be able to build the tank to our designs. The villagers will also be able to

build SP14, in contrast to what we had expected, due to the new, more accurate survey data that

was collected during this trip. Our more accurate data puts the site for SP14 at an elevation of

1969.8 m, which is a lower elevation than was originally planned; this will allow the inclusion of

SP14 into the final completed system, whereas we had thought earlier that it might have to be

omitted.



Kikoo Water Project


5.3 Secondary Tank Design Drawings To be submitted separately

6.0 PHOTO DOCUMENTATION Please see photographs provided throughout Program Background (2.0) and Project

Summary (5.0)

7.0 MONITORING AND EVALUATION

A baseline health survey had been carried out by nursing students at the Banso Baptist Hospital

(BBH) Nursing School before the start of the Kikoo water project, approximately five years

ago. There was some indication via personal testimony of village members that the incidence of

waterborne disease is now lower in Kikoo as compared with before the water system was put in

place. However, a formal follow-up health survey will be necessary to understand the impact on

community health made by the water system.

During this trip, contact was made with Margaret Ngwayu (Contact Info. Deleted for On-line Use) at

the BBH nursing school, Derry Stella (BBH laboratory personnel, (Contact Info. Deleted for On-line

Use)), Donald Buri (BBH laboratory personnel, (Contact Info. Deleted for On-line Use)), and Peter

Kakute (Life Abundant Pastoral Center Administrator (Contact Info. Deleted for On-line Use))) to

begin planning a post-system completion follow-up health survey for Kikoo. Peter Kakute

coordinates the health surveys, and he said that January or February 2011 would be a good time

for a follow-up survey.

8.0 LESSONS LEARNED

During this trip, the importance of effective communication with the villagers became clear. The

local language, Lamnso, is spoken throughout the village, and English is rare, which could have

potentially created major communication barriers. However, we worked closely with the team

members that were from the area to improve dialogue and interaction with the villagers. During

meetings with the Kikoo Water Committee, standpipe presidents, and the women‟s groups,

translators were always present. We also made an effort to learn common Lamnso phrases

ourselves, and we bought an English-Lamnso reference book. The people of Kikoo were thrilled

even with small phrases, and even if we ended up needing a translator anyway, this enabled a

more substantial relationship with the average villager.

Additionally, this trip filled in a lot of social gaps left by trips in the past that focused on

technical aspects of the project. Talking to the women's committees was important to ensure the

cleanliness of the water because they are responsible for getting water from the standpipes and

keeping it in the homes. Speaking with them also allowed them to feel involved with the system



Kikoo Water Project


and to address their own questions or problems. Although the water committee overlooked minor

issues when speaking with us, the women informed us of several potential issues that we could

then address with the water committee.

When meeting with the water committee of Kikoo and representatives of Roh, we had to

emphasize that we were not a source of unlimited money and materials, and that we too had to

work very hard in order to raise money to fund the project. We will have to make this clear from

the very beginning of future projects: what our commitment is, technically, socially, and

financially, so that when unauthorized changes in the system are made, we have that hard line

reasoning to fall back on. Additionally, it will be necessary and beneficial to shut down

unauthorized taps immediately, rather than waiting a year and hoping the water committee

determines how to deal with it. Empowering the water committee and clarifying how much

authority they have is also something to make clear earlier in the project, because they were

faltering a bit due to perceived lack of control.

Our relationship and partnership with our Cameroonian engineering counterparts has proved

both ideal and entirely invaluable. Working with students who get a different type of engineering

education than we do, as well as who can help us translate lingually and culturally, has been an

incredibly educational and interesting experience. Our relationship has been mutually beneficial,

with no problems of one group being more involved or more in charge than the other, and we

become a reasonably integrated group upon arrival in Kikoo.

Finally, in terms of technical adjustments that could be made for the project, we heard from the

Kikoo Water Committee that water quality testing was extremely inconvenient because it

requires samples to be incubated overnight at the laboratory of Banso Baptist Hospital, a half-

hour taxi cab ride away. As such, we attempted to find more readily available incubation

methods, which might encourage more frequent testing of water cleanliness. We discovered that

incubating Petrifilm samples for 48 hours in a fairly warm place (for example, inside of a brick

container or shelf during the daytime) produced comparable results with incubation at the

laboratory. However, over-heating the films (such as by placing them on a tin roof during the

daytime) ruined the samples and produced no usable results. In the future, we may search for

alternative water quality testing methods that do not require incubation and/or produce fairly

immediate results, with the hope that instructing the Water Committee in these methods will

enable and encourage them to easily monitor the quality of the water flowing to Kikoo.

9.0 NEXT PHASE OF THE PROGRAM After our implementation trip, construction of the secondary storage tank will proceed, as

intended, in our absence. We estimate that the Kikoo community, with assistance from local

masons and engineers, will be able to complete this tank within 2-3 months (by late March

2010). With the secondary storage tank in place, the final standpipes and the pipelines leading to

them can be completed by the Kikoo community without minimal further technical assistance

from EWB-Yale. Therefore, the Kikoo water distribution system should be completed within the

year (by December 2010). Through our partners in Cameroon, we will remain in frequent contact

with Kikoo in the event that they need guidance or assistance during this time.



Kikoo Water Project


After the completion of the Kikoo project, EWB-Yale plans to undertake a final wrap-up trip in

order to assess the condition of the finished distribution system and ensure that the community

understands how to maintain it. Additionally, in conjunction with nursing students at the Banso

Baptist Hospital in Kumbo, who conducted a health survey in Kikoo in 2006, we plan to conduct

a follow-up survey in order to assess if the construction of a water system has had any immediate

effects on the health of the Kikoo community. We have established contacts at Banso Baptist

Hospital, and we will coordinate with them to plan this survey during the coming year.

Finally, though the water project in Kikoo is coming to a close, EWB-Yale has established many

friendships in Kikoo and in Cameroon, and we are interested in potentially continuing our

relationship with this community through future projects. As such, we plan to continue assessing

the possibility of several aforementioned projects. First, we will examine the information

obtained from percolation tests conducted at test sites near the village center. We will continue to

communicate with the Kikoo community, and if their interest remains high, we would be ready

to apply for a project to construct model latrines in Kikoo by 2011. Secondly, the community in

Roh has expressed great interest in improving the system which currently provides them with

water. However, EWB-Yale has significant concerns regarding Roh‟s commitment to

organizing, fundraising for, and maintaining a community-owned project, especially given the

existence of privately-owned standpipes in their current system. Without promising future

involvement, we have already expressed these concerns to members of the Roh community.

During our next trip, we hope to see that Roh has taken actions toward changing these problems

and establishing a water committee that represents the entire village. If this is the case, and if

Roh is still interested, EWB-Yale may be able to consider a collaborative project with the Roh

community at that time, and a detailed survey effort to more fully evaluate the existing system

and its shortcomings could be included in a future trip. In any event, EWB-Yale expects to close

out the current Kikoo water project in approximately one year.

10.0 MENTOR ASSESSMENT The trip was reasonably productive and very informative. Progress on the secondary tank

construction was limited by days lost to holidays, illness and lack of materials. However, the

team is comfortable leaving completion of the tank in the hands of the local community with

assistance from a local engineering technician, Damien Kongso. In addition, we can rely upon

our Cameroonian engineering contacts Tata Benoit Ntumyuy and Ngalim Adrian Suika to review

progress. This team proved very effective in completing the primary storage tank in 2007.

A significant amount of effort was put into community education on good sanitation, the disease

cycle and proper water handling through the local schools and women's groups. These groups

were very attentive and appreciative of the sessions. The outreach to women's groups was given

a high priority for this trip since the women have the primary responsibility for collecting,

storing and using water in the households.

Extensive water testing indicated that the source continues to be clean and that the system is

delivering clean water to the community water points. This was an improvement from the

previous trip when unsanitary practices at some standpipes resulted in contamination upon

collection. A system walk-through indicated that the greatest threat to water quality was a farm



Kikoo Water Project


recently established in the catchment watershed. The group emphasized the importance of

addressing this matter, and at the end of the trip it appeared that the water committee was

reaching a resolution with the farmer and landlord to remove the farm. It may be replaced by an

orchard, and the chapter emphasized that no pesticides or fertilizers should be used in the

catchment watershed if an orchard is established.

The travel team was effective at identifying and prioritizing daily tasks and organizing itself into

teams to tackle each job. This was true even while the principal mentor was absent and dealing

with the illness of a team member.

The chapter's ongoing involvement with Cameroonian engineering students (now graduates)

continues to be a fruitful means of transferring skills, interacting effectively with the community

and developing a more complete understanding of local concerns, politics and dynamics.

post implementation report chapter: yale … noah mccoll mentor #1 david sacco mentor #2 jeremy...

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