Day 20 - 27: Final Step!

 On August 20^th, we entered the final stage of our implementation: pump and float switch installation. In the morning, Wise Water Engineering came to install the float switches and lay out the wires from the borehole to the tanks. However they ran out of the wire and conduits, so they headed back to Accra to buy more materials and had to come back the next morning. Meanwhile, the Electric Company Ghana came and made connection to the electrical grid.

Wise Water Engineering laying out the wires for float switches

ECG connecting to the electrical grid

 August 21^stwas a big day, because all of our contractors came. Borehole remover arrived first at 6 a.m., and removed the hand pump at the borehole. Then Wise Water Engineering came to finish the wiring. Following was the AKO Engineering who came for the initial installation of pump. When the pump was installed, we pumped up the water for the rest of the day so that we could fill up the tanks.

Borehole specialist removing the hand pump

AKO Engineering installing the pump

Water pumping out from the pump!

 Next morning, AKO Engineering came back to uninstall the pump so that we could shock the borehole with chlorine. While the borehole was shut down for cleaning, people could use the water from the tanks. After the shock, AKO reinstalled the pump and the control box.
 It was also the first day that water finally came out of the spigot. It was also Chrinstine’s birthday, and her uncle gave us a box of cupcake and four boxes of pizza.

Shocking the borehole. We put the chlorine in the water bottle
 with gravel and send it down through the borehole

 After the pump installation was complete, from 8/24 to 8/27 we mainly worked on fixing the leakages, making the concrete slab around the spigot, and building the masonry wall around the pump to protect the pump. There was a big leakage on the tank which took many hours to fix, but we eventually made it work. Meanwhile, Lucas and Leerang visited Amanfrom and Fahianko to look around other communities. In both communities people are having a major problem with getting clean water.

Building the spigot slab

Building the masonry wall around pump

Tank connections

People fetching water from stagnant pool in Amanfrom

 Once the spigot slab was cured, people all started fetching water! We had a meeting with a water committee to go over the operation and maintenance manual, and talked about how to collect money from people. We had a nice team picture with Sammy and Obanzu before Lucas, Martin, and Leerang headed back to U.S.

People fetching water from spigot!

Water Committee 

Team Photo!