Construction World July 2019

WATER ENGINEERING

Blueprint for water SUPPLY IN RURAL BOTSWANA

A unique community-based water supply scheme has brought a reliable supply of water to the community of Habu, in north-west Botswana, even in the prevailing drought in the country.

Framed copies of the award certificate were presented to Keemisetswe Khootla, the Assistant Chief and Headman of Arbitration in Habu and to Dr Obolokile Obakeng.

T he Botswana Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services hosted an event on 20March to celebrate the formal handover to the Government of Botswana, of the Habu Community Water Supply infrastructure. The scheme, which has been successfully managed by the community for two years, has provided a reference for the roll-out of more water-security measures in other areas of Botswana. Bogadi Mathangwane, Director of the Department of Water Affairs said that the stellar performance of the scheme since its completion in 2016 had provided the Botswana authorities with ample evidence that they now have a potential blueprint for community-managed water supply schemes in rural areas. Held at a Kogtla in Habu village, the event was also attended by Dr. Obolokile Obakeng, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services; and representatives of the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC). Ruth Stewart, Managing Director of Initiatives; Robyn Tompkins, an Executive Associate at JG Afrika Botswana; and Attie Jonker, Managing Director of Franklin Electric and Executive Director of the Franklin Wells for the World Foundation, were also in attendance. Tompkins, a Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) development expert, led the JG Afrika team that was appointed by Initiatives to assist in the design and development of this first-of-a-kind water- supply project for the larger Habu community on behalf of the Paul G Allen Family Foundation’s Philanthropy programme. Meanwhile, Franklin Electric was contracted by JG Afrika to install the borehole pumps and Franklin Wells for the World Foundation donated borehole infrastructure, in addition to that supplied by the Paul G Allen Family Foundation, which allowed the project team to install two boreholes. The two boreholes provide more than ample water supply to this large community comprising about 1 500 people. In her address, Bogadi Mathangwane said: “When Robyn initially presented this concept to me in 2015, I wondered if it could be done,

because we had tried this model in other communities and it hadn’t worked. However, she presented a clear roadmap of how they could work; and today, I see it has.” The unit costs associated with operating and maintaining water schemes in these extremely remote locations is high. Before JG Afrika completed the water scheme, members of the Habu community did not have a reliable supply of water for up to three years. A cornerstone of the success of the water scheme in Habu is the significant attention that was given to the social aspects, which actually took the lead on this project and ensured the necessary community buy-in. In addition to involving the community in the project right from the outset, JG Afrika developed a robust governance framework for the scheme and a toolkit to train representatives of the dedicated water-user committee, comprising two caretakers and five water monitors. These members of the community also underwent technical training in the basic maintenance of the infrastructure at installation. Community members pay for their consumption by registering with a water association and then present a stamped token to the monitors who open the taps at 9:00 am and lock them at 6:00 pm. A simple water-supply scheme was developed that can be easily operated and maintained by trained members of the community. It consists of five tanks on stands that supply taps located at a central point for each of Habu’s five wards, while the pumps are powered by solar energy with manual switches. A manual system is easy to operate and ensures that community caretakers are in constant contact with the system, while their daily walk along the pipe servitude to the pump switching station allows them to detect any concerns that they are able to report timeously to the water committee. Basic switchgear can also be maintained and repaired without having to rely on highly-skilled technicians that are mainly only

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JULY 2019