Community water system is magic

The new water system in the Philippines village of Valles Bello has brought a host of benefits, along with free-flowing clean water, to the community.

The village has a total of 144 households and 42% of the population are children. Accessing a source of a clean drinking water was a major problem for the residents.

Lolita is among the inhabitants of Valles Bello. A mother of eight children, she mainly depends on the meagre income that her husband earns from fishing. With only Ps100 a day, the family finds it hard to make both ends meet.

Being left at home, Lolita is responsible for all the household chores. She had to leave her young children behind while she went to fetch water. As the water source was far from their house, the task took more than an hour.

“One day when I came home from fetching water, my youngest daughter had fallen from our stairs to the ground. She got bruises and fractures and we resorted to the hilot (local name for a bone setter) since we did not have money to consult a doctor,” said Lolita.

Valles-Bello had only one reliable source of drinking water, an open well 500 metres away from the community centre. Water had to be drawn up by a bucket and rope. Digging another source nearby was not possible, either because of the hard ground or because the water produced was salty.

“I always complained to the village health workers because my children always suffer from diarrhoea and with on and off fever,” Lolita said. She and the other residents suspected that this illness was caused by the water they drank.

An outbreak of diarrhoea in the community prompted the village council to seek the services of the Rural Health Unit. The Rural Sanitary Inspector quickly identified the open water source as the cause of the illnesses that were affecting the children.

The Barangay (village) Development Council (BDC) invited Plan staff for an emergency meeting. Based on their Barangay Development Plan (BDP) the top priority activity was the rehabilitation of the water source. The BDC therefore decided to allocate funds and seek Plan’s help for the implementation of the project.

Rehabilitation activities started in December and were completed one month later. The water source was developed and protected with a cover. From the source the project laid suction pipelines connected to a handpump located in the village, and another unit was installed near the elementary school.

With the rehabilitation of the water system, the families were very happy and amazed. “Now I can fetch water near our backyard and I am assured that my children are safe because I don’t need to leave my children for long hours,” Lolita said happily. She added that her children are no longer getting sick. “It’s a lot more convenient now because we can get enough water for taking a bath, washing our clothes and dishes.”

The people in the village were amazed at the new water system, which provides continuous free-flowing clean water. They call it “magic”.

Paulina Padayao, councillor in charge of health and a community volunteer, said, “The project has made a lot of difference among the people of Valles Bello. They can fetch clean water easily and quickly, just along the road. Hopefully, the community will no longer experience diarrhoea and typhoid fever cases.”

Paulina added that the households are also able to save money now. “Before, we spent Ps10 for every 5 gallons of water, especially if there are occasions like fiestas. Today, we only pay Ps1 for each 5 gallons for the maintenance of the water system.”

With the convenience offered by the new water system, lives have changed significantly in Valles Bello. Precious time and effort is saved and directed to something else. Money that was used to treat water-borne diseases can be used for other household needs. “It really is magic,” say the residents.