By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir | President of HAF
The first component involves the establishment of essential physical infrastructures providing potable water to mountain villages. Responding to the environmental and topographical conditions of the region, infrastructures will consist of gravity-flow water systems that will pipe pure water from distant mountain springs directly to reservoirs built above villages, from which water will run through distribution systems to public taps located in key spots near groups of houses. Through such a system, potable water from far away sources is made available at all times close to homes or in important public spaces such as schools, clinics, and mosques.
Construction of the gravity-flow systems, comprised of different structures and components between springs and villages, will make use of local building techniques, knowledge and resources, similar to gravity-flow systems successfully implemented in twelve Tifnoute villages (Taroudant province). Work will typically begin at springs already determined suitable in terms of water quality, adequate flow, and tenure status during projects assessments. Springs will be slightly excavated, and a small basin, known as a springbox, will be constructed to allow water to directly and freely enter from one of the sides, to exist through a lower outflow pipe on the opposite side and be piped to the village. The springboxes, built of stone masonry, are fully covered to prevent any air exposure or contamination of water. Tops of the boxes can be removed for servicing, however, and all springboxes come complete with drain and overflow pipes, as well as a valve and filter to regulate outflow. Gravity will pull water from the springboxes through a special type of high-density PVC piping buried in trenches to villages below. The piping, which comes in flexible segments of 100 meters, has a lifespan of 40 years if properly insulated in trenches (optimally 30-50 cm deep). Where piping cannot be buried due to steep or rocky terrain, it will be “buried” or insulated above ground with rocks and earth, or else galvanized (GI) iron piping will be used.
Reservoirs above villages create not only sufficient water pressure for flow to taps, but allow for the replenishment of an adequate daily supply of water as water continually arriving from springs fill them each night. The reservoirs will likely be either rectangular or circular in shape, and vary in capacity from 20-30 tons of water, and like the springboxes be built into excavated earth, out of stone masonry coated with cement. They will also include drainage, overflow, and outflow pipes, with valves outside to regulate the latter and a door located in the roof to which they can be entered for servicing. Roofs will be built using a local technique called koubba, which requires very little if any rebar, but is just as strong and significantly cuts costs. The distribution system from the reservoir will use the same high-density PVC piping, but in various sizes and diameters to equalize water pressure between branches leading to different taps. Tapstands will use durable faucets, and their concrete construction will include basins to facilitate water collection and washing, if water supply is sufficient for the latter. Drains will lead water away from tapstand areas for sanitation purposes to areas where it can be used to irrigate fields or gardens.
The utilization of local building techniques, knowledge, and resources, should make respective projects cost-effective to implement and sustainable in terms of maintenance, as was the case with the Tifnoute villages, where systems remain fully operational. Locals will not only be expected to operate and maintain systems afterwards, but will be heavily involved during their planning and construction. Mualims, or local skilled laborers with some experience in building water systems will be chosen by participating villages to direct the construction efforts in which they will work. The mualims will be compensated for their work by either village associations or jema’as, which will ensure the quality of and timeliness of work, and be responsible for mobilizing laborers and local resources such as rocks, sand and gravel on a daily basis. Local contributions, then, will comprise of all labor, the supervision and payment of skilled labor, the supply of all local materials (sand, rocks, and gravel), and provide for the transportation of outside materials from local points to villages by truck or mule. Outside material contributions will include all construction materials (cement, rebar, piping, and plumbing parts) as well as their transportation from Marrakech to the villages in the Toubkal High Atlas Mountains.
By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir & Mark Apel | President of HAF & USAID Volunteer
By Amina Elhajami | Project Manager
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