Clean Water Improves Patient Care in Rural Zambia

Since our last report, progress on the water project slowed because of delays in shipping of materials for the next steps of construction. We are happy to report that most of the materials needed to finish the project have now arrived in Mwandi or will be arriving shortly according to the suppliers. 

Using materials received recently, construction of scaffolding for smaller tanks for staff residences began (see lead picture). Additionally, the foundations for the shelters that will house the filter system and pump sets have been completed (see picture below). Our project manager states that when the remaining materials arrive in Mwandi, the scaffolding for the main tanks will be erected, under the supervision of construction experts, and the tanks will be lifted to the top of the scaffolding with a crane. Once the tanks are in place and the UV filtering system and pump sets are installed in the shelters, the entire system will be connected to the underground reticulation system and the water will flow to the hospital! We are hopeful that this will occur very soon after the final materials arrive in Mwandi.

As always, we are most grateful for the generosity of our donors. We hope that our next report we will be able to announce that the new water system is fully functional and meeting all expectations for providing clean water to the Mwandi hospital. We are almost there!!!

The progress on the water project during the last three months focused on preparation of the site where the water tanks will be installed. The site by the Zambezi River was cleared and holes were dug for concrete footings that will support the steel scaffolding. A platform at the top of the scaffolding will hold four water tanks. The tanks, when full, will have an estimated weight of 160 tons. Because of the weight of the tanks, preparing a solid, strong base is critical. To ensure the concrete base is capable of supporting the weight of four full water tanks, eight concrete columns are supported by steel bar frames and are buried at a depth of 2 meters.  A 150mm (6-inch) thick concrete slab connects all of the columns, providing stabilization and additional strength for the base. Both the concrete columns and the slab are cured to reach their maximum strength. Pictures of the steps involved in this process are attached to this report.

The construction of the steel scaffolding will commence as soon as the materials arrive in Mwandi. Once erected, the scaffolding will be topped by a steel platform and the tanks will be lifted to the platform using a crane. The tanks will be positioned for the best weight distribution and will be filled with water by a pump located at the river's edge. The pump will be able to fill the tanks in about 6 hours. The pumped water will be filtered for large particles before entering the tank and a UV filter will purify the water after it leaves the tanks and before it is delivered to the hospital. 

If all goes well, the project will be completed by the end of January, 2020. Thanks to our generous donors, we have made great progress toward completing this project in less than a year! We look forward to sharing the pictures of a completed project in our next report.