Greywater Irrigation in Botswana

Posted by Alex on July 23rd, 2007

 

Hi Everyone,

Coming to the end of my placement, there are a lot of things I’ve done that I’d love to relate back to you all, but I will keep this post to one thing in particular. I’ve been spending the last number of weeks working on adding a rainwater system to the greywater irrigation system that was installed over the last year in the Camphill community by the previous WUSC volunteer, and by the camphill staff once he left. The purpose was to design and build a system that would take rainwater collected from the roofs of the buildings, and use that to flush the greywater irrigation system and the soil around the trees benefiting from the greywater. Through the use of small sections of rain gutters, and a simple series of pipes, water falling during the rainy season will be routed through the system, clearing out the system of the food and soap that clog the pipes and alter the pH of the soil. It has been an excellent experience for me working with Batswana, many of whom have mental or physical disabilities. Pace of work, supplies, and attitudes among other things, different from what I am used to, have made this a real learning experience for me. I am happy that with this system in place, I can leave camphill knowing that I have contributed something tangible that will help the community in the future.

Posted in Botswana