Lambrineu Foundation Water & Sanitation Project

Project information
In June an expert from the Dutch Acacia Institute for Groundwater was hired to investigate the possibilities of providing sound drinking water to family households. The conclusions of the field research were as follows.

Parents and children increasingly become sick due to the use of water from shallow and highly polluted wells. Broadly speaking there are two options for a project: 1) water from ground water, using deep wells, and 2) try connecting to the drinking water pipelines. A rough deep-well investigation resulted in the conclusion that there was no proof that deep water wells (80-150m) may provide clean water, therefore making it a risky investment. It was recommended to try connecting to a project carried out by the Swiss and Germans. The project could connect to their water supply by pipeline while ensuring sustainability by working closely with the Indonesian drinking water supply company. The conclusions of a new quick-scan in the Lhoknga project area were that deep wells may not provide clean water or no water at all (even at a depth of 125 m), and that the public drinking water company (PDAM) is planning, with donor money, to connect areas near Lhok Nga.

Lambrineu and the Foundation H2O wrote a project proposal aimed at connecting approximately 500 (new) houses and placing 20 public water taps in the project area for the remaining families. Lambrineu received funding through the Levi Lassen Foundation in the Netherlands of 30,000.- Euro. This amount was doubled by the Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation to 60,000.-, after which the Foundation H2O allocated another 40,000 Euro. The project started in November. First a design of the construction work will be made, which will be finalized and tendered in the beginning of 2006. The end of the construction phase is expected to take place in May or June 2006. The advantages of this option, compared to deep-water wells, are an effective use of Lambrineu funds (doubling + partnering); sustainability due to the low consumer costs of water from the connections; and sustainability due to institutional embedment with drinking water company and a project partnership with Dutch water companies.