plan 37Dong Lam Hamlet Safe Water System

Summary

Piped water system for village in central Vietnam

Background

This is one of 20 piped water systems EMW will build in 2006. So far, more than 90 systems have been constructed in central Vietnam.

Location

Quang Nam, Asia, Vietnam

Attachments

  • Project_...

Focus

Primary Focus: Drinking Water - Households
Secondary Focus: Drinking Water - Community

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 2,056

About 457 families, with over 900 children and 475 women.

School Children Getting Water:

People Getting Sanitation: 0

People Getting Other Benefits:

Start Date: 2006-11-10

Completion Date: 2006-12-31

Technology Used:

Bore well with submersible pump, water tower for gravity feed, filter system, piping to each household, water meters.

Phases:

One phase.

Community Organization:

The community, as in all EMW water projects, is heavily involved. After the project is explained, peole vote whether to accept. The project is not started until everyone signs up and purchases their own water meter.

Government Interaction:

Ancillary activities:

Water managers are brought off-site once a year for training.

Other Issues:

The project is financially self-sustaining; all operations and maintenance are covered by user fees, typically about $8 per year per family. Two water managers are hired and trained by EMW.

Maintenance Revenue:

All maintenance and operating costs, including salaries of water managers, is covered by user fees.

Maintenance Cost: $200

Metrics:

Prior art before metrics

Cost: $30,664

Water tower: $4,000
Filter system: $3,000
Well: $4,000
Pipe: $9,200
Staff and Admin: $5,353

Co Funding Amount:

Community Contribution Amount: $5,111

The community must dig and back fill all pipe trenches, purchase water meters, purchase household plumbing and fixtures.

Fund Requested: $25,553

Attachments

  • Project_...
  • 2 participants | show more

    Contracting and land rights

    Rob Bell of El Porvenir

    I do not know anything about landholding in Vietnam today but note that the project is within a "Commune". Does this mean that the land on which the water source is located is public, or governmental, or owned in common? if not, what arrangements are made to obtain title to the land on which the water source is located? We not only do t...

    I do not know anything about landholding in Vietnam today but note that the project is within a "Commune". Does this mean that the land on which the water source is located is public, or governmental, or owned in common? if not, what arrangements are made to obtain title to the land on which the water source is located? We not only do that, we also obtain easements across any private land which the pipelines must cross. Do you not have to do that in Vietnam?

    The other question is about contracting. I note that the project description includes responsibility of local officials to find contractors to bid on the job. Are such bidders private companies or individuals? Has EMW worked with different contractors on every project you have developed? If so what has been your overall experience as far as quality of work, post-construction problems with the project (design or construction), guaranties or bonds by the contractor to ensure a quality working project?

    And as always: does the monthly user fee include savings for pump replacement?
    How is the monthly user fee calculated?

    • Rick McGowan of East Meets West Foundation

      Hello Carole. A commune is the offiical term for a village in Vietnam. The water source is almost always on public land, but sometimes the pipes cross various jurisdictions. Access has to be negotiated. If we have to cross private land, yes, we need to get easments. The local authorities always take care of that. The contractors are priva...

      Hello Carole. A commune is the offiical term for a village in Vietnam. The water source is almost always on public land, but sometimes the pipes cross various jurisdictions. Access has to be negotiated. If we have to cross private land, yes, we need to get easments. The local authorities always take care of that.
      The contractors are private. We work with many contractors (we do around 300 projects a year in Vietnam, from schools to water systems, libraries, hospitals, dams, bridges, etc) and so we have a wide network of vetted contractors. We do a 10% hold-back for final quality review, and have our own staff do site supervision and quality control.
      Yes, the user fee is calculated to cover pump replacement, and is based on a simply cost-recovery model for electricity, salaries for water managers and equipment repair and replacement. We warranty the systems, so if anything major goes wrong (water goes bad, water tower develops serious leaks) we go back and fix it. Our long-term success rate in Vietnam for water projects is over 95%, while the country average is only 60% (i.e. 40% fail after two years).

  • Rating: 9

    review by Blue Planet Network

    Would like to learn more about the social context in terms of where this country is heading for rural development.

  • Rating: 10

    review by El Porvenir

  • Rating: 8

    review by Watershed Organization Trust

    The project strategy is well planned and deserve funding.

  • Rating: 9

    review by Rotary District 5450

    The project is based on designs that have previously been effective. There is strong community involvement and committment.

Name Status Completion Date Final Cost
Dong Lam Hamlet Safe Water System completed Apr 2007 28,760