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Two Ghanaian villagers, Akombe Nyagre and Atigyane Delaare, wrote to the WaterAid charity in London asking for support in a local water scheme in their village, Tingonebissi.

The nearest water was five kilometres from the village. Women walk for an hour, then queue for as long as two hours to fill water pots before taking an hour to walk back to the village. The two villagers have worked out five possible ways of solving their problem. Some are more expensive than others.

See if you can match the solution to the cost - in materials and labour.
  1. Dig a hole. A traditional well takes seven days to dig. It uses very few materials.

  2. Dig a hole and line it with concrete. A concrete-lined well is less likely to collapse than a traditional well, and the water will be cleaner.

  3. Collect rainwater from the roofs of houses. Since it only rains in rainy seasons - once or twice a year - the water can be dirty by the time it is used. Some schools in Kenya have their own water butt.

  4. Pipe water from the hills. This uses water from the springs in the hills around the village. There will be huge amounts of water - enough for the village to grow into a town.

  5. Drill a borehole - a narrow hole with a pump at the top. This needs an expert team who can use the special equipment to dig deep and fast. The water will be clean, but the pump will need regular servicing and may need repair.


Here are the approximate costs for the solutions.

Match the cost to the solution!
  • A £13,000
  • B £150
  • C £1,300
  • D £240
  • E £5,600

Click here for answers.



Fun Activity.

You need at least 30-40 litres of water per day for good health.
You are much more likely to get it if you only have to turn on a tap! The further away the water, the less you will use.

Look at these figures:

  1. If you have to walk 2.5 kilometres to get your water, you are likely to use around five litres per day.

  2. If you have to walk 250 metres to get your water, you are likely to use around 25 litres per day.

  3. If you have a tap for your water, you are likely to use around 75 litres per day.



Make a Poster.

Show how important it is to have water close to your house.
Have a water race. Challenge people to fill and fetch a plastic cup full of water in under ten seconds.

Try it in school - at home - with your friends.

You'll be surprised how close you are - almost all the time - to clean water. No two kilometre hikes for you!


Are You a Water Watcher?

Do you know your drips and drops?
Try this multi-choice quiz.

PICK THE RIGHT ONE!
  1. How much water do you use each day?
    1. 55 litres?
    2. 155 litres?
    3. 255 litres?


  2. How many pint glasses per week would that fill?
    1. 16?
    2. 160?
    3. 1,600?


  3. How much water does a dripping tap waste each day?
    1. 1 litre per day?
    2. 4 litres per day?
    3. 10 litres per day?


  4. Do you run your tap while you clean your teeth?
    How much water does that waste per minute?
    1. 1 litre?
    2. 4 litres?
    3. 10 litres?
    4. Or more?


  5. How much water does it take to rinse a mug?
    1. 1 litre?
    2. 2 litres?
    3. 10 litres?


  6. How much water does one cycle of a washing machine use?
    1. 20 litres?
    2. 50 litres?
    3. 100 litres?


  7. So, how much water does a washing machine use in a year?
    1. 2,600 litres?
    2. 26,000 litres?
    3. 260,000 litres?


  8. A shower uses less water than a bath. How much less?
    1.A quarter?
    2.Two-fifths?
    3.A half?

  9. How much water goes down the toilet every day?
    1. Three sinks full?
    2. A bath full?
    3. Two baths full?


  10. How much energy does it take to heat your hot water?
    1. 10 per cent of what you use?
    2. 25 per cent of what you use?
    3. 50 per cent of what you use.

Click here for answers.