© Far East Focus 2021
Erji Village
The Erji village water project is now complete. Here are a few of the many key
points of the project:
90 Homes received clean, fresh, continuous water
One mountain spring developed
Over 9 miles of underground pipe installed
1 water storage tank constructed
Water tap installed at each home
Prior to this project residents (mostly the women and elderly) would hike over
rough, mountainous terrain to get their 2 buckets of water a day from a
contaminated source. Residents shared how they would stand in line at a
small trickle of water as it took time for each to fill their buckets. Now, they
step out their doors and have access to clean water all year.
Local residents have been noticing a gradual slowing or stopping of water flow
from springs that traditionally had good flow all year. This development is
concerning for village residents who depend on these water sources for their
daily needs. Of course, they could move to another location, but land is scarce
and they have long family histories in their home villages. For these reasons,
most choose to stay and make the best of it. As talk of global warming
reaches these small, remote villages, residents begin to wonder what will
become of their homes if this trend continues.
Nosu farming lives are hard enough without worrying about their water
sources. Thank you for your generous support of these projects!
Daily Trek for Water
Women and elderly are those who most often make the daily hike for water.
Not only is the source far from their home, it’s also contaminated and produces
long term health problems.
Old, Contaminated Water Supply
Sometimes individual home owners will buy inexpensive pipe that’s not
suitable for drinking water and bring water from a contaminated source to their
homes. These piping systems are often damaged allowing further
contamination of the water.
New Piping
The new piping supplied as part of this project is durable polyethylene which
will last decades when installed properly.
Water Storage
The new water storage tank is heavily reinforced for long life. All the piping is
installed underground.
Storage Tank
The storage tank compensates for high demand periods by allowing the stored
water to drain and then refill when demand is low.
Stored Pressure
The stored water also serves to provide pressure to the water distribution
system using elevation pressure, or head pressure. Once the tank lid is
sealed, little or no contaminants can enter.
The Water Comes Home
This resident is helping install the water pipe to his home.
Group Effort
Each home owner contributes to the project by helping dig a portion of the pipe
trench, hauling materials to the various construction sites, and helping to install
the pipe. The payoff for their investment is clean water at their home and a
long lasting system. Because these home owners have invested in the
project, they are also willing to maintain and protect their investment.
Water Tap
One of the very appreciative residents with her new water tap and wash basin.
Not only does each home receive a tap, they also receive enough brick, sand,
and cement to construct their own wash station. These stations both protect
the tapstand and keep the area clean by draining the water to a safe location.
