Site	Target
Iyolwa	Protect 15 springs

Once a spring has been capped it provides a steady stream of clean, safe water.

Protecting springs

In some parts of Iyolwa, underground water flowing through rock layers seeps out of slopes and becomes contaminated with clay, topsoil and animal waste. Very often, this is the only kind of water that women and children collect after walking long distances.

Protecting springs is one way to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases.

Protecting a spring

• Dig a deep pit where the water emerges from underground.
• Fill the pit with stones to filter out silt.
• Insert a pipe to channel the water, using a wire sieve as filter.
• Build a concrete retaining wall around the pipe so the pit becomes a holding tank, protected from contaminants.
• Plant a protective hedge around the water point to stop animals from contaminating the water.

No pump is needed because the water is forced out naturally under gravity pressure through a break in the rock layers.

Click here to see a diagram of a protected spring (PDF:275KB)