More than 5000 people in Pajimo village will have access to clean water thanks to a solar powered borehole.
Until recently, access to clean, safe, and reliable water in Pajimo, Akwang subcounty in Kitgum district and municipality as a whole was limited.
To address this challenge, National Water and Sewerage Corporation with support from development partners and with funding from the sustainable water fund subsidy through the Alternative Approaches and Tools for Improved Water Supply and Sanitation (AATWATSAN) is facilitating its drive to increase coverage and reliability of water supply services in Kitgum.
The AATWATSAN project, being implemented by NWSC, has been supported with the drilling of a solar-powered borehole for the community. The 26kw solarized SCADA borehole was successfully sited, drilled, developed, and operationalized in January 2020 at Ogwal-woo-Lemo.
This borehole runs at an average of 8 hours per day with a baseline output of 30m3/hour that is 240m3/day. The interlined solar panels yield electricity enough to pump water into a 50m3 pressed steel tank at Pajimo army primary school.
Thanks to the project, water has reached selected schools in Pajimo, Pajimo Army Barracks and Pajimo HCIII and the communities in the formerly war-ravaged area benefiting about 5000 people.
The NWSC Area Engineer Kitgum, Mr. Otim Brian says the area plans to increase water supply in Pajimo by extending another 5km of pipe network under the NWSC 100% Service Coverage Accelerated Program (SCAP100). He says under the SCAP 100 program, the Area has constructed 4 PSPs in the last financial year and plans to construct an additional 4.
He also disclosed that, in addition, the area plans to lay a further 7km of pipe network in other areas of; Lamit, Ayul, Oryang Ojuma, Padol, Alango to extend water services to the populace.
Scope of works
The project involved the laying of transmission, pumping and distribution mains en route Pajimo, well-developed and coupled solar accessories at Lemo, refurbishment of Mican borehole to augment water production, and the erection of a 50m3 pressed-steel tank at Pajimo subcounty. Furthermore, there will be the construction of five (5) PSPs in selected schools and one (1) health centre in Pajimo village; and the training of PSP operators on water economics and hygiene best practices.
The same AATWATSAN projects are being implemented at Awila in the Apac area and Lira-Palwo in the Pader area.
Water Supply Stabilization Plans in Kitgum Area
Kitgum municipality has 3 divisions (Pager, Central and Pandwong).
Pandwong is currently water stressed with water supply intermittence to a few villages (Bipong, parts of Alango west, Tangi, Agoro, parts of Gangdyang, parts of Alango East and parts of Oryang Ojuma).
In this FY22/23, the Kitgum Area plans to drill 2 boreholes;
- Rehabilitate K-Flag borehole to pump water through a 1km 4-inch pipeline to Hilltop Water Treatment Plant. This should be done by the end of June 2023.
- Drill a second borehole at either Lemo or Amida areas to transmit water to Hiltop Water Treatment Plant (completion is expected before June 2023 whereas operationalization will be in the next FY23/24).
Furthermore, in this FY22/23, Kitgum plans to construct 19 PSPs and 543 new connections as per budget.
NWSC has continued to make great strides in improving water supply in Kitgum Municipality.
