December 2007/January 2008
Clean water, Vietnam-style
We are continuing to use the 200 liter clay jars for clean (rain) water storage for the dry season. They are readily available or can be ordered on fairly short notice, people are accustomed to using them and like them, and they are cheap ($5.00 apiece).
We bought 150 jars and distributed three each to 50 families, 20 in Hoa Loc and 30 in Phuoc My Trung. All families were referred to us by the Peoples Committees in the two towns.
March/April 2007
Buying the water jars.
The clean water project has been a work in progress. When we started it early last year we built 2500 liter concrete tanks for $53 each. We are no longer able to do so as the price of cement and labor have increased. Also, it is very difficult to arrange labor as they must move heave metal forms from site to site and will only agree to work if we can provide several sites close together.
We have decided to continue the project as there is a clear need for safe water in the dry season and have gone to the traditional storage method – earthenware jars. Each jar holds about 200 liters and costs $75,000 Viet Nam Dong each - $4.69 at the current exchange rate. The cost per liter is about the same as for the concrete tanks.
Ten families in Thanh Ngai got three jars each, ten families in Tan Phu Tay got 3 jars each and 15 families in Thanh An got 2 jars each. All families were referred to us by the Peoples Committees in the three towns.
January/February 2006
Mr. Thanh with his new water tank.
This is our newest project, and addresses the serious need of having clean and safe drinking water available in the dry season. We built 2500 liter concrete tanks to collect rain water during the monsoon for eight families, four in Thanh An and four in Tan Phu Tay. Our cost per tank was about $53.00.
For more information about this project, go to the dispatch section and read the February 22, 2006 letter.
