Location: Kigumba Sub County

Population: Approximately 345

Pump Installed: April 9, 2009

Donors: The Deerfield Foundation

Kemenzu is roughly 35km from Masindi town and this is the first well to be constructed by BTA in the Kigumba Sub County. Rarely does twenty miles result in such dramatic changes in environment; however this happens to be the case here as the area surrounding Kemenzu is almost entirely deforested. Kemenzu offers open, beautiful vistas across rolling hills, below which are scattered with little clusters of thatched mud huts huddled together. Although picturesque, it does present a problem in well construction and supporting a clean water environment due to the soil structure. Because the trees were cut down to make charcoal, the soil structure has no support and vital nutrients are washed away during the rainy season, often straight into drinking water sources. This process, known as cultural eutrophication, causes the water to become saturated with nutrient and algae growth which coats the water, rendering it undrinkable. It also means that soils are less fertile.

Fertile soils are a key element of the economy in Kemenzu, as with most other rural villages in Uganda, their main crops being maize, cassava and tobacco. Such a physical form of earning a living naturally depends upon physical fitness and health. Yet the villagers currently only have one water source from which they can take water for all their needs. It is small, covered in algae and as the LC1 Chairman, Emmanuel Jenega, told us;

‘Rain washes all rubbish and dumps it in there (the water source) and makes it not healthy’

He reported ailments such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and malaria as common afflictions the villagers experience. Diarrhoea and vomiting are common signs of gastro-enteritis which is highly infectious and is caused by drinking dirty water, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene. Unfortunately anyone falling ill in this village has at least a 4km journey on foot or by bicycle to the nearest medical centre from the Kemenzu village centre. Because of the scattered nature of the Kemenzu, some people may have to travel much further. Access to clean water, proper sanitation & hygiene, medical care, and even education are all luxuries that are not afforded to all, as Chairman Emmanuel also told us;

‘We drink it (the water) because we have no choice’

BTA decided this was another village in need of an ideal water source. The soil structure depleted by deforestation posed a problem, however with the right materials, the project went well as water was hit only 7.5 feet into digging the 19ft well. After 2 weeks the well was constructed and technicians were called for approval. It was capped and installed by April 9th, bringing BTA to a total of 12 water sources constructed.

Well Data

Depth:  19 ft

Water Column: 11.5 ft

Recharge Rate: 6 ft/hr

The water column is the height of the water within the well or the distance between the water table and the bottom of the well.  The recharge rate is a measurement of how quickly the well refills after water is removed.

Water Quality Data Before and After Busoga Trust Intervention

Fecal Coliforms (E. coli) per 100 ML

Old Source: 100

BTA Well: 0

Percent Change: -100%

E. coli is a fecal bacteria which causes diarrhea, violent stomach cramps, and fever. It can be transmitted through contaminated food or water. US EPA water standards require E. coli and similar bacteria be completely absent from 95% of the water samples taken from a system.

Turbidity/NTU

Old Source: 30

BTA Well: 6

Percent Change: -80%

Turbidity is a measure of water clarity; it is an indicator of how much solid mass (silt, sand, clay, algae) and potentially disease-causing organisms a water source contains. Turbidity is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units.  In the United States, the allowable standard is 1 NTU; Uganda strives for a turbidity level of less than 15 NTU.

View the Kemenzu Photo Gallery