The Journey of a Water Project

Over the nearly twenty years The Water Project (TWP) has been providing reliable water access to communities in need, we have just about perfected our project implementation process. Because we receive so many questions about the process, we’ve put together a comprehensive project timeline.

The Planning Phase

We piloted our current process in Western Kenya, where mapping and vetting were carried out as two separate steps. Those methods have since evolved into one comprehensive data collection effort: waterpoint mapping and vetting, or WPMV.

We first implemented this new combined system in Sierra Leone in 2023 as a multi-part vetting system, shown in the figure below. 

First, we assess the level of need at the community level, then move on to every school and healthcare facility within that community. Once the needs assessment is complete, we map and assess all public water sources already accessible to the community, schools, and healthcare facilities.

In Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Western Kenya, WPMV plays a large role in siting proposed water projects, and community leaders engage with WPMV enumerators from the outset of the process to assess the level of need and help identify the community’s existing water sources. 

WPMV provides a baseline of information on where existing water sources are located, which helps us assess who in the community has sufficient access and who lacks it. It also highlights the current state of water sources that don’t meet our standards for safety and reliability but might be viable for protection, rehabilitation, or adoption.

When vetting a new water source, we evaluate several factors. First, we assess its current state, including its functionality, yield, and environment. A technical assessment of any existing infrastructure helps us identify issues that may make the source vulnerable to contamination or breakdown.

Next, we test the water yield — how much water the source produces. For rain-dependent sources, such as springs, we test during the dry season when water flow is at its lowest. Finally, we conduct a sanitary inspection of the waterpoint’s surroundings to identify possible sources of contamination, such as nearby latrines or farms using fertilizer. If a contamination risk can be removed or mitigated, we work closely with the community to address it before implementing the project. In cases where contamination risks are immovable or difficult to remediate, we may choose an alternate project site within the community.

WPMV provides a wealth of data on existing water coverage, areas needing new sources, and opportunities for improving or rehabilitating current sources. Surveys conducted in our waterpoint management software, mWater, allow data to be visualized and shared in real time as it is submitted. By assessing communities, schools, healthcare facilities, and water sources simultaneously, The Water Project creates a linked database where users can view every institution and water source in a community with just a click.

Regional Differences in Planning

In Southeast Kenya, where we haven’t yet conducted WPMV activities, our planning process is different. Projects in this region are prioritized based on community demand. Since constructing sand dams requires significant community participation, strong demand and engagement are the first prerequisites for a project.

In this region, we prioritize projects on a “first come, first served” basis, with communities receiving support in the order their requests were made. Siting for sand dams and dug wells is then determined by geography and the local knowledge of community members, who often know best where infrastructure will be most accessible.

An Extra Step for Borehole Wells

Hydrogeological surveys are an important part of planning for borehole wells, especially for deep boreholes. 

In Western Kenya, the government requires that all planned borehole wells have an environmental impact report and hydrogeological survey conducted by an accredited hydrogeologist and submitted for approval. Because the site has to be pre-approved by the government before drilling begins, this process often begins months before the drilling. The Water Project is lucky enough to have an accredited hydrogeologist on staff in Western Kenya, who coordinates with the government and guides us in our effort to access precious groundwater resources responsibly. 

In Uganda, hydrogeological surveys are conducted at the time of drilling. The drillers conduct the survey and use it as a tool for borehole well siting, ensuring that groundwater is available before the drilling process begins. 

In Sierra Leone, our local team uses their own equipment for the surveys in order to reduce the frequency of failed drills in this region. Though the government does not require pre-approval of hydrogeological surveys, the Port Loko District is a geologically complex area that can be tricky for drilling, and a positive result from the hydrogeological survey improves the likelihood of success.

Community Engagement (at Every Stage!)

Once a community is selected for a new water project, extensive community engagement begins. This engagement begins months and sometimes even years before a system is built, and can give our staff critical insight into planning considerations. 

While our local teams use WPMV as a jumping-off point, they also engage deeply with communities to ensure that the water sources will meet community needs. Because WPMV provides only empirical data, we also take into account the community’s preferred water source, land ownership concerns, social dynamics within the community, and the environmental factors that determine which source type will be possible. This is also when the community can express what they really need, and our teams spend time learning about current water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices and their preferred solutions.

In some cases, a community may have been using their preferred water source for generations. The source is already in use and is preferred by the community, but doesn’t meet The Water Project standards of safety and reliability; our intervention improves the existing source to ensure that it is well-constructed and protected from contamination. This is often the case for spring protections in Western Kenya or the conversion of dug wells in Sierra Leone. 

Sometimes, the opposite is true – perhaps the community has been using the same spring for many years, but knows it to be contaminated. In this case, they may request an entirely new source in order to leave the old one behind. The community’s knowledge and preferences thereby inform the project planning. 

In the most dire cases, a community might be entirely lacking water access and have no existing water sources. For these communities, The Water Project’s options are obviously more limited – there are springs to protect, shallow wells to convert, or hand pumps to rehabilitate. In this case, a borehole well is typically the best option.

But in every case, TWP and each of our partners take community demand very seriously as we plan and prioritize projects. The relationships and trust we build with the communities we serve are a huge part of what we do, and we strive to closely consider the needs of anyone asking for help. In fact, communities within our focus areas that reach out to express their need for water are often prioritized even above the areas identified as “in need” during WPMV. The act of requesting support shows the kind of community ownership and organization that often makes a project even more successful long-term.

The Construction Phase

With a solid foundation of community engagement and education, we move forward with the physical implementation. Whether it’s drilling a well, constructing a sand dam, or installing a rainwater catchment system, our team of experts ensures that the chosen solution is implemented with the highest standards of quality and efficiency.

In many cases, we ask the community, school, or health center to contribute locally available construction materials like sand and stone to a project’s construction. This helps speed up the construction process and promotes community buy-in and ownership. If people are involved in a project’s construction, they may also be better able to identify issues with a water source once it’s completed.

Borehole Wells

For borehole wells, our construction process varies across regions. For instance, some of our work areas – like Western Kenya – have hard bedrock beneath the ground’s surface, which makes drilling take longer. 

But no matter the installation location, the surrounding community members are instrumental to each well’s success. To prepare, they collect fine sand and water for cement-making. Then, once the materials are gathered, our drill team and staff arrive to begin work. A well-drilling process can take days to complete, so the drill team sets up a camp where they can rest and refuel. Community members provide meals for the team and a safe place for the artisans’ accommodations and materials. Depending on the region, the drill team may be contractors or our own local team members.

While drilling, the team drives down a temporary casing to keep well walls from collapsing as the rig progresses. Once we reach the required depth, the team replaces the temporary casing with a permanent version, then bails the dirty water from the bottom of the well. We install permanent pipes, flush them, test the well’s yield, and chlorinate the water.

The team then constructs a cement well pad to seal off the well from any ground-level contaminants and installs tiles beneath the spout to protect the cement from the water’s erosive force. 

We also include a short drainage channel and a soak pit to carry spilled water away from the pump and prevent standing water. When the well pad is dry, we install stainless steel hand pumps and conduct a quality test.

Rainwater Catchment/Harvesting Tanks

Because Southeast Kenya is a semi-arid region with unpredictable and low rainfall, we install high-capacity (104,000-liter!) rainwater harvesting systems at schools there. Rainwater harvesting systems capture and store rainwater for use during dry periods. 

When embarking on installing a water tank, we first hold a meeting with all parents and the school’s headteacher to plan the project. The parents agree to collect construction materials like sand, rocks, and water. We complement their materials by delivering the expertise, tools, lumber, metal, cement, and a gutter system.

Construction for these large rain tanks is much like constructing a concrete house. First, we level the ground for foundation excavation. Next, we lay alternating layers of rocks and mortar up to seven feet high for the tank’s outer walls. With such sturdy construction (the walls are three feet thick!), the tank will stand for a long time.

To add integrity to the thick walls, we plaster them inside and out with waterproof cement and install guttering that flows into the tank. We also build a reinforced concrete column in the tank’s center to support the roof and prevent it from caving in. Finally, we install the tank’s roof, made of iron sheets and timber with vents to allow rainwater to enter from the gutters.

Sometimes, a rain tank can take several months to fill up and serve a school to its fullest extent. But once there’s water in the tank, we return to test the water and ensure its safety.

Sand Dams 

Sand dams are also an ideal water solution for the semi-arid region of Southeast Kenya, capturing and storing water from seasonal rivers to ensure it’s available during the long, dry months.

Constructing these large-scale water features requires significant effort from the community, however, as they must gather substantial amounts of materials like rocks and sand to build the dam. This process takes longer than the actual construction, lasting up to four months for a large sand dam. Community members also dedicate their time to supporting our artisans with tremendous physical labor.

While the material is being collected, our team draws up siting and technical designs and presents them to Kenya’s Water Resources Management Authority. We then send a survey to the National Environment Management Authority for approval before beginning construction. 

Once the plans are approved, we establish a firm bedrock base for the sand dam wall. Usually, this requires the community to dig all the way down to the bedrock beneath the river channel. In the absence of good bedrock, we excavate to a depth at which the ground is compact enough to stop seepage.

Next, we heap mortar (a mixture of sand, cement, and water) into the foundation, followed by rocks. We then use barbed wire and rebar to reinforce the mixture.

Once the foundation is complete, we build a timber skeleton to hold the structure above ground level. We repeat this process until we reach a sufficient height, width, and length. 

Finally, we dismantle the timber beams and leave the dam to cure. 

When the rains come, sand and silt will build up behind the dam wall. This reservoir of sand acts as a giant natural filter, and allows rainwater to seep into the ground and raise the water table. With this water, the surrounding landscape will become lush and fertile, and a nearby shallow well will provide drinking water to the community. 

It could take up to three years of rain for each sand dam to reach maximum capacity. Once a sand dam matures, however, there is no equal for providing water to communities and landscapes in semi-arid regions!

Shallow Wells

Since sand dams hold water near the surface of the Earth, a borehole well – which is drilled through many layers of ground beneath our feet – wouldn’t work well next to a sand dam. We subsequently dig shallow (hand-dug) wells adjacent to sand dams in Southeast Kenya. 

For hand-dug wells, the aim is to dig until we reach the hard bedrock beneath the layers of soil, sand, and clay. That way, not only is the foundation of the well stable, but the well is better positioned to catch water that flows downstream and into a sand dam’s reservoir — which will also be strategically positioned right on top of the neighboring bedrock. The upstream side will fill with sand and retain water to feed the new well.

We may deliver the experts, the materials, and the tools, but the community does an extraordinary amount of work, too. They collect supplemental materials locally, including sand, stones, and water. 

First, we excavate a hole seven feet in diameter and 25 feet deep. We construct the well lining using brick and mortar with perforations that allow water to seep through. Sand will ultimately build up around the walls, which will filter the water stored behind the dam.

Once the well walls and lining are complete, we lay a precast concrete slab on top and join it to the wall using mortar. The concrete dries for two weeks before we install a hand pump. After installing the pump, we give the well another few days to dry. 

Protected Springs

In Western Kenya, natural water sources like springs are plentiful. We take advantage of this natural bounty to protect springs and make the water safer for humans to drink. 

Community members gather materials like bricks, sand, and stones, while The Water Project provides additional supplies, such as cement and hardware.

To start, we excavate the spring area and dig drainage channels to divert surface contaminants. 

A base is established with thick plastic, wire, and concrete to prevent seepage. Brick walls are built to protect the spring, with a discharge pipe positioned to allow clean water to flow while avoiding cross-contamination.

Once construction is complete, stones and tiles are added to prevent erosion, and fencing is installed to protect the area from wildlife and humans who might compact the carefully constructed filtration layers with foot traffic. The entire process takes about two weeks, leaving the community with a reliable and safe water source for years to come.

Handing Over the Project

Once construction is finished, we help establish a Water User Committee made up of local residents who will oversee and manage the water point. These committee members receive training on the proper use and maintenance of the water system and financial management (so they can collect fees for small repairs and maintenance). This ensures the community has the knowledge and resources to keep the project running independently.

Alongside each water project, we conduct hygiene and sanitation training to help the community maximize the benefits of clean water. These lessons cover handwashing, proper waste disposal, preventing waterborne illnesses, and creating healthier habits.

In some communities, we hold a formal handing-over ceremony or party — like in Sierra Leone, where many community members gather to celebrate the new water point with song and dance. In other service areas, we simply let  community members know that the water point is ready to use. 

Monitoring and Maintenance

Once a project has been completed and handed over to the community, the water point is scheduled for routine quarterly monitoring, which allows for response to issues as they arise. Our field officers complete three in-person visits and one phone-based monitoring call per year. 

Monitoring surveys are completed on smartphones. After a survey is submitted, the data is uploaded to the cloud immediately. We track and report this data on our website, where donors can see results from each project’s most recent monitoring visit in real time. 

This system enables us to diagnose problems quickly following a visit or phone call. When we identify an issue with a water point, such as a breakdown or necessary repair, our software flags the survey and we prioritize a service visit. 

We also perform water quality testing immediately after project installation and then twice per year (biannually) after that. We test each water point both in the wet season and the dry season. We currently test each sample for E. coli, turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids, and electrical conductivity. Water quality data informs program decisions and identifies opportunities for improvement.

Conclusion

Each water project journey is a story of collaboration, resilience, and hope. From the early stages of waterpoint mapping to the final touches of construction and beyond, every step is designed to empower communities, meet their unique needs, and ensure sustainable solutions for years to come.

But the journey doesn’t end when the water starts to flow. Through ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and education, we continue to support communities as they manage their water points, fostering independence and long-term success.

Behind every water project is a network of passionate people — donors like you, dedicated field teams, and resilient communities — working together to transform lives.

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