Portable water supply

The drinking water supply sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by lack of water, poor water quality, seasonality of water availability.  

In many villages, the residents get their water from the nearby stream. Possible pollution from sewage or animal carcasses in the upper reaches of the water often lead to infections and serious diseases.

About 250 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, do not have safe drinking water. This requires it cemented and lockable wells. However, completely closed systems such as hand pump wells or electrically operated pumps that pump the water into collecting tanks are safer. 

In the years 2016-2020 Sierra Leone, Liberia and Benin, we have built more than 20 wells in Guinea. We often build wells in connection with a school or near a church. Access is available to the school children and also to all neighbours from the immediate surrounding area.It is important that those responsible for the well are appointed who will also take care of its maintenance.

In flat areas in Sierra Leone and Guinea, the water table is 10 m – 15 m below the surface. Concrete rings are placed in a manually dug hole in the sand and placed on top of each other. They are first poured into simple moulds. The hole is then closed and a hand pumping station is used. 

On site we work with local project managers and volunteer development workers.  (In the picture Manfred Stede from the foundation “Hilfe für Lokomassa”). Often the village supports the construction workers.

A well of this construction type costs the foundation about 3.000 – 3.500 Euro 

In the north of Benin and Togo one has to drill up to 60 metres to get potable  water. An electric motor pumps the water into a container every 3-4 weeks. Electricity is provided by the generator that is brought along. A well committee is responsible for regular filter changes.

The construction of a high well costs 3.500-4.000 € depending on the location

In Cameroon, the Jörg Wolff Foundation participated in a water supply system of the company CARD (Cameroon Association for Rural Development).

In the mountains near Bamenda the water is collected and piped to various villages. There – for example in Numba – we made a water tap – as it is in Europa  – for the whole extended family.