The works on the water project that brings drinking water to the communities of Norwood, in Sri Lanka, have been completed!
The aqueduct was built with a gravity system and is located in one of the poorest areas of the country, where about 86% of families do not have access to the safe and clean water.
In fact, the communities, who live in small villages scattered within the tea plantations, took water for drinking, washing and cooking from a single community distribution point: the water, which came by flowing into channels or inside of old pipes, was contaminated and not subjected to purification treatment before being used. In some cases they also used rainwater.
Establishment of the Community Based Organization
An important part of the creation of the project was the establishment of the water management committee at the community level. The committee, made up of community members, will have the future role of monitoring water quality, developing a water system safety plan that highlights risks from source to distribution points, and bringing community concerns to sector forum in which the reference institutions participate. The members of the Community Based Organization actively participated in the work, helping to bring the materials, to the excavations, to form small groups of people for the cleaning of the sites, with the name of Shramadana, community support. In short, it was a real team game!