Enugu State

A Sustainable Water Development Program in Rural Nigeria

Note: this website is currently experiencing large changes, please bear with us.

Welcome to the Enugu State Project! This initiative seeks to develop a sustainable water source of clean water for the village of Adu Achi in Southeastern Nigeria, serving as a pilot for community-based water management in the area. Currently the village relies upon distant and contaminated surface water sources, travelling up to 3km almost 6 times per day in the dry season.

A site assessment was completed in August of 2006, followed by two implementation trips in the winter and summer of 2008. The project is in the process of designing a ground water gravity flow system to service many areas in the community, as well as several individual households. In addition to technical feasibility, this project emphasizes community organization, well and system management, improved health, education, and sustainability.

This project has received several National & International awards, including:

EPA P3 Phase I award
EPA P3 Phase II award
Mondialogo International Engineering Award from UNESCO & DaimlerChrysler
Best student presentation at the National Groundwater Association's Ground Water Summit 2007

For more information contact the project coordinator, Maren Somers at enugu [dot] ewb [at] gmail [dot] com.

SPONSORS

Design

Schematic

Water Supply System Research, design, and implementation of all of the necessary elements to ditribute groundwater throughout the Adu Achi community.
Borehole	Oversight of the borehole design and drilling
Power Option	Determination of the most appropriate power source for the water pump
Generator	Feasibility study of diesel and biofuels
Solar	Feasibility study of solar power
Distribution	Design of water distribution system and taps over 4km
Reservoir	Design of water holding tank: structure and pumping schedule
Water Quality	Ensuring uncontaminated drinking water

Community Systems Working to provide a sustainable water source for generations to come: management of the borehole system, integrating the use of alternate local water resources.
Rainwater Catchment	Demonstrating improved household rainwater collection materials & methods.
Surface Water Protection	Protecting the surface water to ensure water supply for the future & a healthy environment.
Management	Providing recommendations to Adu Achi Water Committee to fund, manage, and maintain the system for successful water provision for years to come.
Health	Ensuring the overall improvement of the community's health. Defining metrics to monitor health changes from the baseline characterization.
Cassava Washing Stations	Designing stations for the community to wash cassava at or near the taps to prevent long distance, contaminated food, and pollution of streamwater. Also controlling cyanide runoff.

Research Documents

Here you can find all of the links and literature we have found useful working to complete the design for the Enugu project.

You can either click on one of the committee resource pages to see the resources most relevant to that group or below you can look through all of the resources that have been posted (in chronological order).

Water Supply System

Community Systems

Borehole Literature & Resources

Here you can find all of the links and articles that have been posted by the borehole team.

Design

Water Supply System Research, design, and implementation of all of the necessary elements to ditribute groundwater throughout the Adu Achi community.
Borehole	Oversight of the borehole design and drilling
Power Option	Determination of the most appropriate power source for the water pump
Generator	Feasibility study of diesel and biofuels
Solar	Feasibility study of solar power
Distribution	Design of water distribution system and taps over 4km
Reservoir	Design of water holding tank: structure and pumping schedule
Water Quality	Ensuring uncontaminated drinking water

Community Systems Working to provide a sustainable water source for generations to come: management of the borehole system, integrating the use of alternate local water resources.
Rainwater Catchment	Demonstrating improved household rainwater collection materials & methods.
Surface Water Protection	Protecting the surface water to ensure water supply for the future & a healthy environment.
Management	Providing recommendations to Adu Achi Water Committee to fund, manage, and maintain the system for successful water provision for years to come.
Health	Ensuring the overall improvement of the community's health. Defining metrics to monitor health changes from the baseline characterization.
Cassava Washing Stations	Designing stations for the community to wash cassava at or near the taps to prevent long distance, contaminated food, and pollution of streamwater. Also controlling cyanide runoff.
Bath Houses	Design of community bath houses for potential future installation for families who cannot afford to have water piped into their home.

Enugu Home

Videos

Student edited video summarizing the first implementation trip in January 2008. Narrator: Ben Valentine.

Maren Somers and Katia Sussman describe the Enugu Project at the EPA P3 award competition. The project was selected as one of the 6 (of 56) University teams to win the $75,000 People, Prosperity, & the Planet awards.

Maren Somers describes the Engineers Without Borders Project in Nigeria that won a $75,000 EPA Grant

Cassava Research

Cassava (Manihot esculenta cranz) is a root crop, similar to a potato, grown in much of the tropical nations around the world as a major source of starch, as well as industrial products, such as ahesives and food additives.

Processing of cassava is an important aspect of rural food supply, because the root has naturally ocurring cyanogens which are toxic to humans.

The goal of this research is to ensure that the community of Adu Achi is able to use the newly developed water source for cassava processing, eliminating the long trek to the contaminated stream, which consumes calories and contaminates the food supplies. The main concern is how to manage the waste water run off from washing the cassava at the community taps or in the processing centers currently under construction.

Summer Implementation

Four of the six EWB members have returned from a two and a half month summer implementation trip. Two ferrocement tanks were completed as well as several taps. The entire village village distribution system was surveyed and the design is nearly complete. Ben Barnes and Laura Fierce are still in the village working hard to complete the borehole contract and facilitate and coordinate sustainable health programs.

Katia Sussman surveying the pipelines.

Ferrocement Tank 1 (left) covered in plastic to keep the cement wet during the curing process. Tank 2 (right) is having metal work done in preparation for plastering.

Cheryl Weyant and mixing crew. These kids are really the hardest working group of teenagers and they do this back breaking work all day for an equvalent of 6 dollars and occasionally some palm wine.

more pictures soon...

~cheryl

EPA P3 Grant Awarded to Enugu State Project

Congratulations to the Enugu State Water Development Project for winning the Environmental Protection Agency's People, Prosperity, and Planet (EPA P3) Award. The committee is continuing work on-site in Nigeria during this summer of 2008. Be sure to see the university's news release for the full story.

2nd Annual Run for Water Results

Thanks everybody for coming out on Saturday, despite the threat of rain. It actually turned out to be perfect running weather. I've already started planning for next year's run, and I've come up with some great ideas. Its going to be bigger and better than ever. Here are the results:

Place             Runner                     Time
1                  Brian Senta               19:35
2                  David Duncan            19:37
3                  Andrzei Makvich           21:31
4                  Matt Feickart                21:45
5                  Joe Kliffelhoffer            22:03
6                  Jeremy Bates             23:07
7                  Luke Fencl                 23:44
8                  Patrick Walsh             25:42
9                  Chris Heckman            25:48
10                 David Webster             27:09
11                 Emily Floess                27:22
12                 Megan Shaw              27:59
13                 Bill Storms                 28:51
14                 Ben Barnes               28:52
15                 Josh Reeley                29:12
16                 Stephanie Bogle         29:45
17                 Sumit Dutta                29:45
18                 Barry Noller                29:46
19                 Stephanie Gantt         30:00
20                 Sue Finkenbiner          31:29
21                 David Bireta                33:24
22                 Andrew Spencer          34:09
23                 Jason Jordan              34:29
24                 Jason Jewell               37:08
25                 Tessa Colbrese            37:08
26                 Julie Colbrese            37:10
27                 Bev Smith                  46:42
28                 Bill Curry                  46:45
29                 Paul Crutcher             46:48

Enugu State

Schematic

Water Supply System

Research, design, and implementation of all of the necessary elements to ditribute groundwater throughout the Adu Achi community.

Community Systems

Working to provide a sustainable water source for generations to come: management of the borehole system, integrating the use of alternate local water resources.

Water Supply System

Community Systems

Water Supply System

Research, design, and implementation of all of the necessary elements to ditribute groundwater throughout the Adu Achi community.

Community Systems

Working to provide a sustainable water source for generations to come: management of the borehole system, integrating the use of alternate local water resources.