(175c) Community Water Supply: Technology, Economics and Community Capacity

The sustainability of community water supply projects in ?developing? countries is critical for increasing long-term access to clean drinking water. Important sustainability parameters include water supply & purification technology, project development, financing and local capacity building, and O&M programs. Community involvement in the design, project implementation and long-term operations is critical to water supply project success. We will demonstrate the importance of these factors in the water and health project in Ngelenge, Tanzania, a partnership between Engineers Without Borders-USA and the Ngelenge Development Association, a local NGO. The role of separations technology (e.g. flocculation, filtration) and groundwater well development will be described in detail, to show the role of chemical engineering skills in international community development projects.