Location: Pakanyi Sub County, Masindi District

Population: Approximately 260

Pump Installed: November 11, 2009

Donors: Katherine Scialabba and the Sisters of Delta Gamma

Kidwera I is a small community of around 260 people, but that shouldn’t prevent them from having clean water to drink.  Located roughly 25 kms outside of Masindi town, Kidwera I stretches over a number of small hills.  Residents depend on the crops they grow both for their own consumption as well as a source of income. The quality of life in Kidwera I is not great with many families living in very basic conditions.  More than half of the households in the community do not have a proper place to relieve themselves leading people to defecate in the open.  Human waste is a primary source of disease transmission and a tremendous health threat to the local population.  Due to the hilly topography of the area, human and animal waste can easily be swept downhill by rainwater into small, open pools.  It is from these pools which the people of Kidwera I used to collect their water.  Consuming this water can easily lead to an array of health problems. During a baseline household survey carried out by Busoga Trust staff it was found that a majority of residents have suffered from intestinal worms, diarrhea and several other diseases.  Contaminated water and poor sanitation are the primary causes.  People should not have to be consistently afflicted by such maladies.

Busoga Trust has built a new water source in Kidwera I with the assistance of community members.  The well will provide clean water year round and will significantly help to reduce the disease burden suffered by the population.  Busoga Trust will also assisted Kidwera residents to construct pit latrines near their homes because improved sanitation levels will go a long way to improve health.  Through the construction of latrines it is intended that the practice of open defecation will cease, therefore eliminating a major source of disease transmission.

Well Data

Depth:  21 ft

Water Column:  10 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) organisms per 100 ML

Old Source: 500

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 Ecoli and similar bacteria be completely absent from 95% of the water samples taken from a system.

Turbidity/NTU

Old Source: 13

BTA Well: 0

Percent Change: -100%

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.

To Watch the New Pump in Use, Click on the Image Below

To view pictures for Kidwera I, click on the picture below