Presentation: Tackling Poverty Through Multiple Water Services: Uzualoki-urualla, Nigeria Case Study

Tackling Poverty through Multiple Water Services Uzuakoli – Urualla, Nigeria CASE STUDY JOACHIM IBEZIAKO EZEJI PROJECT COORDINATOR/CEO RURAL AFRICA WATER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (RAWDP) NIGERIA

Overview • Introduction • Human Development Index • Facts and Economics

• Context • Community and Water Availability • Water Usage • “Wet” and “Dry” Times

• Project • Early Community Efforts • RAWDP Steps In • Water Scheme Operations • Results and Evaluation

Overview • Observations

• Rural African Water Problems • Realities

• Technologies

• Bio-Sand Filter • Ceramic Filter • Moringa oleifera

• Conclusions • Questions

Introduction

Human Development Index • Composite index measuring: • Long and healthy life • In many Sub-Saharan African countries: • Life expectancy is as low as 39 years old • Mortality rate is as high as 40%

• Knowledge • Adult literacy rate, gross enrollment ratio • Decent standard of living • Per capita GDP, Purchasing Power Parity • In Nigeria in 1999, GDP was as low as 3.5%.

Introduction

Facts and Economics • Heavily Indebted Poor Countries have worst indicators • Majority of population in half of HIPC lack • access to adequate sanitation • clean drinking water • Economist recently projected:

Investment of US $2 billion

US $16 billion

in water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa

in corresponding benefits on continent

• Access to drinking water and sanitation could drive

economic, social and environmental development

Context

Community and Water Availability • Uzuakoli Urualla community • Southeastern Nigeria • population of about 15,000

• Water Availability • No permanent streams • Rainfall is never heavy • Very dry, rocky, hilly area • Water in stream only at onset of the early rains • Stream equidistant to many families

Context

Water Usage • Drinking, cooking, sanitation,

irrigation, agriculture, livestock • Animals use the water as humans do • Earthy colour immaterial to users • The peak gathering on weekends • Women do their washings • Soak and ferment cassava • Children bathe and swim • Men also do various things of interest here

Context

“Wet” and “Dry” Times • “Wet” when water flows • most lively period in community

• “Dry” when stream is dry • Life becomes compact, it shrinks! • Trauma and sadness • Families carry jerry cans searching for water • Poor roads keep water tankers at bay

Project

Early Community Efforts • Water committee was set up • Meetings held, funds contributed

• Water scheme was a borehole project • All attempts unsuccessful • Poverty worsened

• Still, geological formations supported

limited water supply

Project

RAWDP Steps In • RAWDP mobilized resources and expertise • Cooperation between the community and

RAWDP

• Geophysical survey • Revealed the intrinsic aquifer characteristics of

the sub-surface

• Concise drilling programme • RAWDP sank a very successful borehole

Project

RAWDP Drilling Borehole

Project

Water Scheme Operations • Pressure constraint, so only two fetching heads • Recruited 50 young men as water vendors • Carts fit 8 jerry cans of 50 liters each • Clerk hired to oversee each fetching head • The vendors go to homes selling water

• Returns made from sales pay for: • Vendors and clerks weekly • Costs of repairs and maintenance

• Exercise remains successful

Project

Water Vendors and Clerk

Project

Results • Fewer uses of stream • No longer for drinking water • Livestock use stream more • Greens spared more grey water

• Scheme endured since 2001

Project

Evaluation 1 Year Later • Morbidity and mortality from

waterborne ailments reduced • Good health resulted in: • Increased school enrollment • Increased productivity • Fewer man hours lost

searching for water

Observations

Rural African Water Problems • Poverty evident when people deprived of water • Not limited to drinking water • Most rural Nigerians get 10 L per capital per day • Verifiable from the Federal Ministry of Water Resource (FMWR, L – 2000) Nigeria

• Water supply regarded as most important problem • Confirmed in rural survey by UNICEF in 1999 • Water was cited as a priority problem by 77% • Ahead of health care, education etc.

Observations

Realities • Water deprivation caused by: • Lack of rainfall • Ephemeral streams • Gross hydro-geological inhibitions

• Separating water • Requires infrastructure • Impractical in third world countries • Still seeking MDG targets • Possible in developed economics

• Villagers could use cheap technologies

Technologies

Bio-sand Filter

Technologies

Bio-sand Filter • Originated in Calgary, Canada • Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation

• Slow sand filtration process • Three distinct size sand ranges • “Schmutzdecke” is the biological layer • Eliminates pathogens and fecal coliforms • 90% pathogen removal efficiency • 100% parasite and coliform removal efficiency • Also removes turbidity, some iron and manganese

• Easy maintenance and low cost

Technologies

Ceramic Filter • Clay filter inside a lidded, spiggoted container • Colloidal silver as germicide/disinfectant • Flow rate of about 1-1.75 L of water per house • Product water • Generally tastes good • Proven to be coliform–free • No vibrio cholera, amoebae, or other parasites • Successfully lab tested in over 10 countries in 4 continents • Propagated by Potters for Peace

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Gathering Recycled Bricks

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Breaking Bricks

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Grinding Bricks

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Spreading Ground Bricks on Tarp

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Folding into Mound

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Making Clay

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Forming Before Mold

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Mold with Clay inside

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Using Truck Jack to Press Clay

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Excess Clay Outside Mold

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Removing Filter from Mold

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Filter Removed from Mold

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Multiple Drying Filters

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Filter being Fired

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Filters being Tested

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Inserting Filter

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Putting on Lid

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

Getting Drinking Water

Potters for Peace- Ceramic Filter

For More Information

Technologies

Moringa oleifera • From family of shrubs and trees • Cultivated across the tropical belt • Used for a variety of purposes • In place of alum to treat water • 50-150 mg of ground seed needed

to treat 1 litre of river water • Dosing is usually 1-3% solution http://www.le.ac.uk/engineering/staff/Suther land/moringa/moringa.htm • Still expanding in Africa • Malawi uses in urban water treatment

Technologies

Preparation of Seed Solution

Shelling seeds

Crushing Seeds

Sieving seeds

http://www.le.ac.uk/engineering/staff/Sutherland/moringa/pictures/fscale/fscale.htm

Seed paste

Technologies

Moringa oleifera’s Effect • Solution yields water soluble

with a positive charge

proteins

• Act as cationic polyelectrolyte

• Active antimicrobial agent • (4 aL-rhamnosyloxy benzyl isothiocyanate) • Treatment studies by Eilert et al (1981)

• Tests on Moringa oleifera revealed

it is very effective in:

• reducing hardness, improving the pH • coagulation of suspended solids (SS) • turbidity reduction • removal of odour, taste and pathogens

http://www.le.ac.uk/engineering/staff/Sutherland/ moringa/pictures/fscale/fscale.htm

Conclusions • Money is major constraint in replicating these

sustainable technologies • E.g. Bio-sand filter replicated in Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch • Funded by Canadian International Development Agency • Similar efforts in other countries, but pace is too slow • Difficult to reach 2015 MDG targets • Please consider donating to RAWDP • No amount is too small!

Thank You Questions? RAWDP [email protected] 1 Tetlow / 4 Assumpta Avenue P.O. Box 6116 Aladinma Owerri Imo State, Nigeria