PICTURES AT THE END.
Aquinas University Foundation’s community development program in Lamba, Legaspi City has numerous aspects; from agriculture to education, and now potable water supply. A Level II (communal faucet access) water supply system is currently under construction in the center of barangay Lamba to dramatically improve the resident’s access to water for domestic uses. This project is being funded by a number of different stakeholders. Once completed, the water system will be managed by the barangay council, and eventually, a people’s organization.
The residents of puroks 1 and 2 of Lamba have a number of difficulties in accessing clean water for drinking, cooking, washing and other domestic needs. The closest potable water source is approximately 500 meters away, over a hill; men, women and children can regularly be seen carrying single gallon jugs to and from this source for their families. The barangay’s sandy soil and proximity to the Albay Gulf make all open and drilled wells undrinkable due to salt water intrusion and contamination. The source to be tapped for this system is a large, constantly flowing spring with no variation in flow during the summer.
The water system is very simple, yet effective. Water will flow, by gravity, through 2” diameter PE pipe for 500 meters until it reaches a high point in the center of purok 1, Lamba. In centro, a 9000 liter ferrocement (thin-walled concrete) water storage tank will be built to store water collected during the evening for use during the day. From the storage tank, another 2” diameter PE pipe will carry the water 400 meters to 8 different communal faucets strategically placed throughout the barangay for maximum benefit. Each faucet is built of reinforced concrete to ensure its safety.
This project has been prepared and will be funded by a number of different local, national and international agencies. The total water system budget of PHP288,000.00 is funded jointly by Hiefer International, the US Peace Corps and an in-kind labor counterpart from the community members. Community organizing and pre-project awareness were done by Aquinas University’s Center for Community Extension Services and the US Peace Corps volunteer, Page Weil, assigned there. Topographic surveys and water system design were done by the US Peace Corps volunteer, enlisting the help of the beneficiaries whenever necessary. The ferrocement tank technology was developed and tested for Albay at Aquinas University’s Rawis Campus; prototypes can be seen by the water refilling station near the cocofed building. Sunwest Development Corp has generously allowed use of the water source and the land where the transmission pipes will be laid since it lies within their property.
The people and barangay council of barangay Lamba have greeted Aquinas University and the US Peace Corps with open arms and, as of this writing, are working hard to make this plan a reality. The project is scheduled for completion in May of this year.
And now...PICTURES!!!
The children in this picture carried those buckets of water from more than 500 meters away. They do this every day.
To build this water system, we used WWII-era surveying gear.
Water is transmitted over a kilometer through 2" plastic pipe
Here the masons are plastering the reusable form for a 9000 Liter Ferrocement Tank (this is not the first one I have built)
There are few feelings in the world better than watching someone's face as they turn on a water tap in their neighborhood for the first time ever.
Kids playing in the spray of a pipe under repair.
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