Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Program: Wells for Masindi / Jinga Uganda

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  Decommissioned

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Community Profile

The report below from our partner in the field gives some great information on the construction of a new well at Ogunga Primary School in Uganda:

Ogunga Primary School is located in Alero B village and has one of the largest enrollement numbers for schools Kiryandongo District. The school is found within a farming community whose livelihood primarily depend upon the cultivation of  maize, beans and cassava.

During the 20 year civil war that affected the northern part of Uganda, Alero village which played host to many internally displaced people whom fled the north and it is this rich mix of communities that make up this large school population. Historically, the District has made at least five attempts to drill a borehole in this community which has not yielded good results as they battled this water stressed area which is typically identified from its rocky and flat features.

At the moment the school shares access to safe water from the one community hand dug well which is approximately 2 kms away from the school. According to Mr. Odoki Vinero, head teacher of the school cites difficulties in accessing clean water for his pupils  ‘when the swamp near the shallow well floods in rainy season, water at the shallow well turn brownish and smells a lot.’

In consultation with the District Water Office for Kiryandongo, The Water Trust has responded with construction of a borehole at the school to address the needs of the school which has to compete with the community shallow hand dug well. The aim under the TWT School WASH program is to provide access to clean and safe water to the school hence a healthy learning environment.

To complement this borehole, a TWT Community Development Officer will also be assigned to work with the school to form a School Health Club to ensure that pupils and teachers are aware and can promote good hygiene and sanitation behavior practices.

Construction Progress

March 24, 2014

Today the TWT technical assistant and supervising consultant arrived at Ogunga Primary School with the drilling team whom quickly set up the rig and began to drill.  Surrounded by curious students and teachers, the drilling team set upon drilling the well under the supervision of a consultant and the TWT assistant technical supervisor and successfully drilled a well to 78m.

April 12, 2014

Pump testing activities started early this morning to beat the oncoming rains  and establish the performance and yield of the borehole. Findings from these tests indicate that Ogunga Primary School yielded 0.5m3/hr and has a very good recovery of 94% in 45min which will successfully meet the needs of the school population for years to come.  The team completed casting and installation and have left the well to rest until after the Easter break when the borehole will be connected and the school will be able to access clean water on their premises

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Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!