Cobue Settlement, Bua

229

People

34

Families

134

Women & Children

Boreholes are drilled down to 250 ft to find water. After the hole has tapped into sufficient water source, metal pipes are inserted. The borehole pump, either powered by sun or electricity, sits above these pipes. When water is pumped to the surface, it is filtered to ensure water is safe before being piped to homes for use.

Applicabillity

When no surface water source is available.

Project construction duration

4 weeks

Level of maintenance

Low

Donor

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade via Rotary New Zealand World Community Services Ltd

The solar powered borehole is connected to there three elevated storage tanks, which distribute water to 34 households in Cobue settlement.

The moment when clean water came flowing through the pipes

This water for life project was funded by the New Zealand Government via Rotary New Zealand Word Community Services Ltd

Savitiri preparing lunch in her kitchen shows the value of safer drinking water in households. While construction was underway in Cobue Settlement, Savitiri and her husband Deo kindly opened their doors to out plumber field staff. Savitiri prepared daily meals for the plumbers, and the couple provided comfortable accommodation in the cottage.

Deo was carting a 200 litre drum of water to his home each day until a new solar-powered borehole began distributing water to the 34 households in Cobue settlement.

Shewta and aunty Reshmi can now enjoy the benefits of having access to sage drinking water from their rural paradise in Bua.

Access to sage drinking water minimises the risk of water-related illness and allows Mere to provide for the family.

Mere's family were using water from a ground well shared by 14 families in Cobue village. Extreme dry periods followed by heavy reain caused one of them to collapse, and health issues were resulting from contamination.

This tap is connected to a solar powered borehole, which distributes water to the 14 families living in Cobue village.

Paula Wame fill their water buckets at Cobue Sanatan Dharam Primary School. Thie school year has just begun and spring is underway.

Contracted engineers install solar panels to power a borehole at Cobue Sanatan Dharam Primary School. Rotary Pacific Water is committed to providing sustainable water solutions to rural communities, and using green energy wherever it is possible.

The Situation

In the past, families would pump water from wells using small surface pumps whilst others fetched water with buckets. Some men like Deo carted water long distances using bullocks. The drought of recent years has reduced the water level in all ground wells, forcing Cobue families to ration the little water they have. Three families in the community use pit toilets and the other 30 households have a mix of water seal and flush toilets in their homes. Community representatives asked for our assistance in 2014. The location of toilets were mapped to ensure a safe distance of more than 50m from the borehole. The promise of water was realised with funding from the New Zealand Aid Programme via Rotary NZ Community Services Ltd.