Clean Water Systems

Once houses are built and a school is operating, David’s Well works to provide a system for clean water. Contaminated water is the biggest cause of disease and parasites. Clean water is a very important piece to the health and success of a sustainable village. This is the most difficult, challenging and costly task. Some of the villages are located close to the base of the mountains and can use an aqueduct system in which they run plastic pipes from springs high in the mountains down to a central point on the islands (which are mostly swamp land). They can then distribute the water through pipes to various villages within the area.

But for villages that do not have nearby mountains, clean water is much more difficult to provide. Until recent past, large cisterns captured rainwater running off the roofs of the houses. This method does not produce 100% clean water and the water runs out quickly when there is no rain. The most effective system is a fairly recent development. Windmills have been found to be very effective to pump water from deep wells into a large tank that is located high above ground. The tank provides the water pressure through gravity to distribute the water in pipes throughout a village. The water is treated with a gravity filtration system to remove contaminants and make it safe to drink. Best of all, this method provides an unlimited supply of water because it does not depend on rain and requires little maintenance.

Photos of Clean Water Systems