Buwunga Community Water Project

The Buwunga Community Water Project is working to provide access to clean water for ~1,300 people in Buwunga, a disadvantaged community along the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda.  PICC has partnered with Water Mission, a well-respected, international NGO with significant experience with borehole construction, to implement the Buwunga Community Water Project.  

As was last reported, drilling had begun on the borehole, but after reaching ~120 feet, the team encountered thick clay and mud.  Concerns were then raised that the layers of rock and mud might affect the quantity and quality of water, so the engineers have migrated to a design that will pump water from the lake to a purification point, which will act as the water distribution point for the village.  The design is based on a water pumping project on an island in Lake Victoria that works well in a very similar context.  We have revised the contract with the engineering group, work on the new design has begun, and we anticipate the project will now be completed by March 2020.

The on-site team has had multiple consultations with the Buwunga Community, and they are supportive of the water pumping plan.  They understand that such a facility requires more hands-on maintenance, and they have agreed to develop a plan for a community team to be trained to carry out maintenance.  

 We are deeply grateful for the support and flexibility of the Buwunga Community as we work together to overcome these unexpected challenges.  We remain both committed and confident in our ability to provide clean water to the Buwunga Community – and will report back on the progress of the new pumping facility.