Donor: The Deerfield Foundation

The village of Kihaguzi is situated on the tourist road to Murchison Falls national park, one of Uganda’s major tourist attractions.

The immediate village population of 360, along with a far wider populace in the surrounding area, is served by two water sources. The first, a spring which was protected by the local government, is situated 1.5km from the village center on the other side of the road which leads to the national park. Though the water is of decent quality, its distance and hazards for children crossing the busy road to collect water make it a poor option for many.

The second source, an open unprotected spring, is situated at the bottom of an overgrown valley. While the water from this source is contaminated year round, it becomes even dirtier during the rainy season as a result of its location. Few members of the community have adequate sanitation and so fecal matter is washed down from the households and into the area surrounding the open source. David Kyarigunza, a member of the Water User Committee, has noticed that prevalence of diarrhea disease is higher during the rainy seasons. Being in a valley also means that the stagnant marshy land around the source is an ideal habitat for mosquitoes. Mr Kyarigunza also commented on the effects which these problems present;

‘When we are sick we cannot go to work … even the children cannot go to school because of the sickness.’

The community are predominantly farmers and such a physical occupation is greatly impaired by the effects of diarrhea and other water born disease. When asked how often people fell sick he replied;

‘Even my two children have been sick, since the start of this month (a period of two weeks) they have both been suffering from diarrhea and one has had typhoid while the other has had malaria.’

Click Below to View the Kihaguzi Photo Gallery

Digging of this well began in early October following work in the preceding months by our team to assess and prepare the village for this new water source and work by the citizens of Kihaguzi to assemble their contribution to the project. The well was completed in November and began providing clean water for the people of Kihaguzi on November 20, 2008 following a dedication cerimony.

Well Data

Depth:  28 ft

Water Column:  9 ft

Recharge Rate:  4 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: 55

BTA Well: 9

Percent Change: -84%

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: 55

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.