Clean water is defined as
properly disinfected and stored waters that is free from E. coli bacteria.
Living in Senegal has made me realize just how precious clean water is,
especially when you have to carry gallons and gallons of it in a baignoire
precariously balanced on your head.
There are many types of
available water sources in Senegal; these primarily include forages, wells,
pumps, boreholes, rainwater, and robinets. Each has its own advantages and
disadvantages. For example, water pumps don’t require forage, they can be
sourced to a shallow water shelf, and they are covered—which decreases risk of
contamination. However, they can be expensive to built, expensive and
complicated to maintain, and require NGO involvement for design/construction. Many
volunteers build some kind of water source infrastructure during their service,
and it’s up to them to figure out which type is best suited to their community.
Quick step back: it’s
especially important to conduct surveys in the community to ascertain need
before starting such a big infrastructure project. Many people in my community
have asked me to install robinets in the village. While I have not yet
conducted surveys, I’m not convinced that they really “need” robinets, or that
it’s the best option for my community. Not only are they expensive to build and
maintain over time, they also require community members to pay for each gallon
of water used. I think it might be more of a status symbol.
According to Venchele’s base
line surveys, clean water access is an important issue in Dassilami Soce. A
full 40% of individuals do not have access to clean water, which may explain
the high rates of diarrhea and skin infections in village, especially among
children. I’m still not sure exactly why these water sources are unclean,
because the sources of contamination are unspecified. I have no doubt that well
covers would help protect the water from contamination. During VV, Venchele
mentioned that acid rain was a probably contaminant during the rainy season,
which also coincides with increased rates of diarrhea and skin infections. In
Saroudia and Boutilimite, I was told that some of the wells do not yield good
or “sweet” water. This water is used only for washing laundry, not for drinking
or cooking. I’m still not sure if this means it doesn't taste good, or if it’s
salty, or if it’s otherwise contaminated.
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| My nearest well in village. |
So just because these are
many possible options available to the Senegalese people does not necessarily
mean that it’s good quality and healthful water.
And even when it is good
water, it often needs to be treated for turbidity, parasites, and/or bacteria.
Common methods include prefiltering, chlorinating, or boiling. I can tell you
straight off the bat that my villagers do none of the above with their drinking
water.
Once it’s been treated, it
needs to be safely stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Even well
stored and treated water is only considered safe for a small length of time:
for instance, boiled water is considered safe for 24h. After that, it has to be
treated again.
Latrine projects are also a
popular project among Peace Corps volunteers. I have friends who have only one
latrine in their village—namely, their own personal latrine. Their villagers go
into the bush to relieve themselves.
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| A typical village latrine: what I'm working with |
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| The case de sante's latrine: what we might build in village.... |
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| ...with its next door douche |
There are many different
types of latrines, but Peace Corps promotes a few in particular. The simple
latrine has a square or circular pit, with a hole for defecation and some kind
of shelter. The VIP-ventilated improved pit is a simple latrine with a vent
pipe and fly screen to minimize pest and odor. Double vault/pit compost
latrines have two pits built side by side. When the first pit is full, another
shelter and hole is built over the second pit. The waste in the first pit is
slowly composed over the next 2 years, and can be used as fertilizer in the
fields. The offset privy’s pit is built at an angle from the actual latrine
shelter and defecation hole. A pipe with pour flush allows waste to travel from
the defecation hole to the pit. It allows for easier waste removal, and
minimizes pests/odors.
Choosing
a good location is pretty crucial. When building a latrine, you have to make
sure it’s at least 2m above the wet seasons water table, at least 15m away from
the nearest water source, and at least 6m away from the nearest house/compound.
If you build the latrines in the middle of a public space, people may not want
to use it. If you build it under trees, it might start to stink.
Here’s
how one would go about building latrines:
·
Contact the
nearest post de santé and its Hygiene and Sanitation Committee to tell them
about your project and include them as needed
·
Consider asking
an NGO or other organization for assistance
·
Identify the
best kind of latrine for your village
·
Determine the
kind of community participation involved. Many NGO’s and programs require
community members to contribute some funds or manual labor. You can also write
a grant, and get funded through Peace Corps
·
Insist that each
family receiving a latrine go through training for maintenance and hygienic use
of latrines. This should be a non-negotiable condition to receiving a latrine.
For instance, people should know to cover their latrine holes to avoid flies,
which can propagate many serious illnesses
·
Hire manual
labor and amass necessary material. Lists are always good. Disperse material
carefully
·
Plan during
rainy season, build during hot season. If you try building latrines—or many
water source infrastructures for that reason--during rainy season, you run the
risk of having the hole you’re digging collapse
Bottom line: WASH
infrastructure will probably take up plenty of my time over the next 2 years.
There’s a lot to be done…
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