Projects - Mayombe Water Project

Mayombe Water Project

Mayombe is located a two-hour hike up the mountain from Pendus (and from the closest place any vehicle can reach). It sits nearly on top of the mountain with a panoramic 360 degree view. One of the problems the people face in living there is obtaining water because the closest available water is "a half hour walk" for them! Located nearly an hour on past the Mayombe chapel (and even a little higher in altitude), there is a source of water (the size of your little finger) that trickles out of a rock and begins to head downhill toward Mayombe.

Father Wilner Donecia and others have studied this source and have found it available year round, even in the non-rainy portions of the year. At the top of this project is a cistern to capture the water at the source. The cistern there is a concrete enclosure that is approximately four feet high, six feet wide and six feet deep. Water is then piped out of it in a two-inch pipe -- which is stainless steel for the first 20 feet and then PVC pipe thereafter. It is piped about 200 yards to another collection point. This cistern is about 3 times the size of the original one. It has an overflow pipe to disburse excess water from the system when not being used at points below.

From that second collection point, the water is piped down toward the Mayombe Chapel. In all there is over 3,000 feet installed as of the December 2008 visit by St. Mary. As of January 2009, most of the piping is still exposed, laying on the ground along the main path used by the locals in walking this area.. However, there are a few spots where the PVC cuts across another route as it descends the mountain. Only at the very top portion is PVC pipe buried. There are plans to continue bury the exposed pipe as well as extend the system on down to Mayombe's Chapel and possibly beyond. There are currently four water stations built along those 3,000 feet that has been installed.

At these water stations, a "T" intersects to divert water to the station. Each station has a concrete pad (approximately six feet by six feet in area) with a concrete post in the middle. The water is piped up the post with two spigots facing opposite directions. There is plenty of water pressure as each of these stations. Each water station is along the walking path, making access to water even easier (not to mention cleaner than before).

Each of these stations had people filling their water containers and all were very pleased with the system. Father Wilner said that all the labor was being donated by the locals -- giving them ownership in the success of this project (as well as incentive to keep it working.) Three of the key leaders in getting the work organized and done are Elilus (the sacristan at Mayombe), Hebert (a catechist from Pendus that lives between Pendus and Mayombe) and Fortilus Pierre. Fortilus has acted as project manager. He lives between the top two collection points near the top of the project.

At some time in the future, this project could lend itself to providing a source of electrical power if we can harness the gravity fed flow of water to generate power. It still has lots of details to be worked out.

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