Project "Safe Drinking Water for schoolchildren of Gozhuly village, Ukraine"

Funded by A4A-NVR
Period of implementation:   November 2006 — June 2007
Project coordinator:          All-Ukrainian Environmental NGO MAMA-86 Ukraine
Local project coordinator:  MAMA-86-Poltava

Project background

The project was based on initial information and results of the previous MATRA project "Cooperation for sustainable rural development 2003—2006".

The project area is village Gozhuly of Poltava rayon. According to the dates received in MATRA project village school-kindergarten supplied by centralized drinking water, which has the natural fluoride contamination. In additional the centralised water supply interruption are happened often because of aging of the infrastructure (old pipes and equipment). The School administration made big efforts to repair and to keep in order the water supply and canalization. The frequent repairing and interruption of water supply caused the problems with drinking water supply for school in total, especially for canteen needs. Thus, women who are the workers of the school canteen, and schoolchildren, usually girls, collected water with rather big containers and carried them to school from the local wells, located 100 m from the canteen. Based on the results of the MATRA project the water in the wells in this village very often contaminated by nitrates and is ansafe for drinking purposes too.

Project Goal

Provide access to safe drinking water supply for 180 schoolchildren and children from kindergarten of Gozhuly village (Polatava rayon) installation, who is use water from well with nitrates contamination or tap water with fluorine high concentrations.

Activities implemented

Analysises and Monitoring of tap and wells’ water quality in Gozhuly

a) during November 2006 — May 2007 6 water analyzes on fluoride were done in laboratory of the Institute Geochemistry, Kiev. The samples were analysed by potentiometric method. The main result is that the level of contamination on fluorides was in the limits 7.42—7.83 mg/l, that is more then 5 time higher the norm.

b) 3 water samples of new well water ( before and after treatment) well on nitrates, microbiological contamination, heavy metals and organoleptic parameters were done at Poltava oblast SES department (28.05.07) and in the laboratory of the Institute Geochemistry (30.05.07), Kiev. Nitrates in water were measured by express-analyze too, the results was — 25 mg nitrates/l (28.05.07). Final water analyze will be done after filter commission at Poltava oblast SES department (July).

c) children monitoring of nitrates contamination of wells in the village water was done regularly during the project period. Water from 335 private wells in Gozhuly was analyzed by nitrate express-analysis.The results of the children monitoring were mapped. Poltava department UkrNIITIS provided the new map of Gozhuly (November 2006), which was used for updated map of nitrates contamination of wells in Gozhuly (first map was created in previous MATRA project). The pupils from 9 form created the team, who participated actively in sampling and measurements for the monitoring of nitrates contamination of wells in the Gozhuly. The teacher of biology and director of the school coordinated the process of mapping the results and making the records. More than 150 water samples for analyzes were brought by inhabitants. A map of the nitrate contamination of the 335 wells was made and presented (30 May 2007) to local authority.

Public awareness raising activities

In the framework of the project the gathering and analysis of information about fluorine nitrates contamination and health effect in the Poltava rayon and oblast levels was made in cooperation with the experts of Medicine Faculty and Stomatology Faculty of Poltava Medical Academy and SES. Based on the obtained scientific and statistic dates the informational materials were prepared.

2 booklets on fluoride and nitrates water contamination were published (400 copies of each).

The gathered information, recommendation of the round tables and articles on fluorine, prepared by experts were included into the case study about fluorine and nitrates contamination in the Poltavska oblast. This case study was delivered to all responsible departments/authorities at local-oblast level after the ending of the project.

Due this project the public awareness and informing on fluorine problem was started at Poltava rayon-oblast levels.

The booklets on fluorine and nitrates problems were a basis of public informing activities. There were presented at different meetings and round tables and disseminated among Gozhuly community, authorities, students and teachers of Medicine Academy, schoolchildren and teachers of the rayon schools.

The findings and the results of project were published in 3 articles published in local newspapers: "New well for Gozhuly school" (May, 360,000 copies, Newspaper "VISTI" ); "Fluorine in water!" (May, 300,000 copies, Newspaper "Kolo"); "Nitrates in water!" (June, 300,000 copies, Newspaper "Kolo").

2 Round tables were organized to discuss the drinking water problems in Poltava rayon and oblast.

On 29 April 2007 Round table on fluorine water contamination was held at oblast level in Poltava city. The fluorine problems and health risks, possible solutions were presented and discussed by local authority, SES, State standard department, doctors and public. The participants of the Round table developed the recommendations to authorities on the discussed item.

On 30 May 2007 Round table on nitrates water contamination in Gozhuly was held. 15 participants took part in it. The technical solution to improve the access of schoolchildren to safe water was presented and discussed. At the end of August the final Seminar on A4A project result presentation and official opening of new school well is planned. The issues of maintenance of filtration system (service, needed budget for maintenance of the filter, local fundraising including contribution of local authority) and well legalization process will discussed at the beginning of new school season. This seminar presented the new map of nitrates contamination of wells in Gozhuly and discuss the alternatives of local water supply, technical and financial aspects.

Stakeholders involvement into the project implementation

The project was implemented base on involvement of local community, public committee, school, rayon and oblast administration, scientists and engineers into the solution finding and implementation of the project tasks. The first meeting of the representatives of all main stakeholders was organized on 20 November 2006 at Gozhuly School with local administration and director of the school to discuss the Gozhuly school water supply problem and the possible technical solutions. As a result of this meeting it was proposed to build the new well of drinking water for the Gozhuly School; to send a letter to the head of the regional department of education with a request to start all necessary works according to the arrangement of the new well.

During project period there were 10 meetings with the school administration and staff, 7 meetings — with the public committee, 5 meetings with the rayon department of education. Multistakeholder discussion of the problem was organized and facilitated by Mama-86-Poltava. Technical solution was made based on experience/knowledge of main stakeholders. In December 2006 the Rayon administration decided to allocate funds for reconstruction of water supply and canalization system at school. Total budget allocation was ap. 7,500 UAH. The reconstruction was done in December 2006.

Building well for 180 schoolchildren and 30 children of Gozhuly school and kindergarten

To build the new well for school the company "Neptun" was selected. At working meeting on 17th April with SES and chief of the building company it was decided to build well at 15 meters from school canteen’s wall (more accessible place in case of old water and canalization pipes location). The contract was signed at 19th April. Working process started at 23th April. Well building was completed at 30 May. The net cost for well’s building is 18,500 UAH (ap. 2,846 EUR). Water sample for bacteriological and chemical analyze was made by oblast SES at 28 May. The main problems of the row water are: iron (9.3 mg/l; turbidity, ammonia). The main conclusion was that for the drinking purposes this water has to be treated.

To solve the water treatment problem and find the suitable filter for well "Ecosoft" company was selected. During 7—22 June based on water quality analysis results and the pump characteristics the filter system was defined, total costs and service cost for filter were calculated. Final water analyze will be done after filter commission. The preparation of the place in the building for filter installation was started in June. After one month of pumping the water from the new well the quality of raw water was stabilized and the work on filter installation were began with delaying. The filter system will be installed in July—August 2007.

The water needs for school canteen is calculated ap. 140 l/day for 230 pupils and 30 staff. Mama-86-Poltava bought water tank for 500 l. Based on consultation with experts from sanitary technical companies (May) pump station was chosen. Pump and tank of 500 l volume installation was done by service company.

Local authority is going to legalize well after full commission.

Cleaning private wells in v. Gozhuly

In April — May 3 meetings with public committee were held to discuss the wells’ cleaning up action, to set the wells’ selection criteria and to select 20 private wells for cleaning. The wells for cleaning were selected based on the following criteria’s: level of nitrate pollution (50—200 mg nitrates per liter); dislocation of wells taking into account the distance to sanitation facilities (pit latrine usually), farms and other source of nitrate and biological pollution. In April there were serias of negotiations with service companies (April) about well cleaning procedure and costs. The price for cleaning 1 private well is 600 UAH.

List of the wells for cleaning (20+6 (reserve) private wells) was completed on 4 May. Agreement was signed with company at 10 May. During two weeks from 11 May — 25 May 20 wells were cleaned up. The express-analyzes of nitrates content in wells’ water before and after cleaning was made.

Evaluation of main project achievements

Through this project implementation 390 local villagers, including 210 children were served directly and improved the access to safe drinking water. By cleaning up of private wells more than 150 dwellers improved directly the access to clean drinking water. Due to building and putting into operation of new well and filter 210 children and the 30 staff members of Gozhuly Scholl-kindergarten will improved the access to safe drinking water.

To solve the drinking water supply problems of Gozhuly school the Poltava Rayon administration allocated 7,500 UAH (1,100 Euros). These money were spent for rehabilitation of water supply and canalization system at school in December 2006.

335 Wells were tested on nitrate contamination. Near 1000 dwellers received the information about the nitrate pollution of water in their wells. As a result of the A4A project Gozhuly dwellers were informed about the nowadays situation with nitrates contamination of the local wells. The map of wells nitrates pollution was made. Now this map serves as a source of information for the village residents and authorities.

More than 350 (women — ap.90, school pupils — ap.200) village citizens and local authorities taking part in project meetings and events.

Number of requests for information through newspapers could be evaluated ap. 700,000.

800 copies of 2 booklets were disseminated among the villagers, local-rayon-oblast authorities, SES and in Medical Academy among students and teachers, at Gozhuly School at different public education and information events organized by MAMA-86-Poltava.

The fluoride and nitrates contamination of drinking water in Poltava oblast issue was presented at the national level during Seminar in Kyiv on May.

The round table recommendations together with the info materials published in the A4A project were delivered to the rayon and oblast authorities for taking the actions by the authorities to solve the problem at oblast level.

In total more then 650,000 residents of Poltava oblast were informed via mass media about the drinking water problems in the region.

The main innovation of the project were the introduction of multistakeholder approach at village level to solving the common village problem of provision of children at school and kindergarten by safe drinking water. Sharing the responsibilities and acting by all stakeholders for the solving of common problem was implemented in practice.

Schoolchildren provided the monitoring of the well’s water in the framework of the schoolchildren water quality monitoring project. They have already had 2-year experience on express analysis of wells’ water on nitrates in the village and mapping the results in order to raise the awareness of local community.

The school administration provided the control at all stages of the well building and putting it into operation as well as filter. Together with the school administration local authorities took the responsibility for the future legalisation of new water supply facilities. Local authority and public committee are responsible for support of the maintenance of the new school water supply. Village Council and rayon SES department helped to organize the private wells’ cleaning up in Gozhuly.