The effective operation of boreholes is very much dependent on the communities that own the boreholes as they are seen as the very first custodians of these facilities. Co2balance contracts a project partner/officer to be an engagement representative within the community. Each month our project representative is required to conduct basic checks on each borehole to see if they are in good condition. They also continue to engage with the community to ensure that they are observing good hygiene practices and using the pumps in a sustainable manner.
Usually water fetched from a properly clean and maintained borehole is safe for human consumption without the need for boiling but if this water fails the safe water chain test, then it can cause lots of illnesses to people. If people fail to use clean containers for their drinking water, they face the threat of getting water borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid among others.
During the monthly routine visits, apart from checking on the mechanical conditions of the boreholes, our project partners/officers also check that the borehole surroundings are kept clean, no human activities are going on at/around the borehole, no animals are accessing the source, use of clean water collection containers by the community among others. This is to ensure that the community maintains a high level of sanitation and hygiene and that the water collected from the borehole is safe up to the very last drop used in the household.
Here are some photos from this month’s routine visits.
Maintaining clean, safe water remains one of our greatest national and global challenges and responsibilities……… Jerry Costello