Isoke Water Catchment Project
The water catchment project in Isoke is a gravitational pipeline scheme consisting of the following parts: water intake, main pipeline, reservoir tanks, sedimentation tank, inspection chambers and communal water points.
The Water Intake
The water intake consists of a big intake box chamber, filter, pipeline inlet, suction pipe and washout pipe. The dimensions of the chamber are: length 7 meters, width 1 meter and depth 1 meter, thus giving it a capacity of 7 m3. It has an extension of the wing wall (weir) with channels away excess water. The purpose of the filter is to prevent entry of silt, leaves and debris from the inlet and turbid water after cleaning the chamber, respectively.
The Main Pipeline
The main pipeline consists of both GI and PVC pipes of various diameters, ranging from ¾ to three inches. Total length of the pipeline from the intake, mainline to the distribution points is 8.8 km.
The Reservoir and Sedimentation Tanks
There are two main reservoir and sedimentation tanks; both are round ferro-cement tanks with capacities of 50 m3. All tanks have ball valves, inlet pipes, outlet pipes, washout pipes and overflow pipes.
Inspection Chambers
There are three inspection chambers, namely:
- A washout chamber which serves to channel away dirty water during cleaning of the intake
- An air release valve chamber which serves to release air from the pipeline to prevent blockage. The double air release valves measure two inches.
- A section valve chamber which is necessary during repairs of sections of the pipe.
The inspection chambers have similar dimensions with varying depth depending on the depth of the pipeline. The general dimension is 0.6 x 0.6 x 1 meter.
Communal Water Points
There are a total of 27 communal water points with the army type Swedish tap-stand.
Boreholes
The Bridge Project’s boreholes have been drilled using hydraulic rigs. Mark II type hand pumps are used to pump the water. All boreholes are equipped with a platform and pump. Caritas does not support the use of generators to pump water from boreholes because of the high costs of maintenance and in order to ensure environmental sustainability.
Construction of Schools and the Health Clinic
The Bridge Project makes use of the EVG (Entwicklungs- und Verwertungs-Gesellschaft) 3D Construction System to raise its basic service structures. Using panels for entire constructions, the Bridge Project is able to erect its buildings quickly and easily. The two schools and the health care centre offer good thermal insulation properties for the climatic conditions of South Sudan; it keeps classrooms and the clinic cool in high outside temperatures. Moreover, it makes no use of timber or natural forest resources, thus being environmentally friendly. The erected buildings have a guaranteed long-life and their sustainability is enhanced by avoiding the use of glass windows and using fittings on doors that can be shut using simple padlocks.
The construction system uses materials economically and is therefore cost-effective. Costs are further minimised by efficient procurement and use of resources by the Bridge Project. As a result, the Bridge project is capable of building a school, meeting all the standards and requirements as specified by the Government of South Sudan’s (GoSS) Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) for approximately USD 300.000. This is for a school consisting of two blocks with four classrooms each, an administration block with three offices, housing for six teachers and separate latrines for teachers, boys and girls.
