Monday, August 1, 2011

Karibou! (Welcome!)

Our group is preparing to depart for Kenya on Wednesday evening, and I am sure I speak for many in saying that I am incredibly excited for what the next month will bring! We have spent the winter semester learning about the history, culture, and issues affecting the Laikipia region of Kenya, and now hope to apply this knowledge in addressing water concerns at the Mpala Research Centre.

As an introduction to our class blog, I would like to provide a brief overview of Mpala's current water procurement situation, and our class approach to understanding water issues there. A quick disclaimer- this is my understanding, but was compiled from a variety of sources presented in class by Professor Wright, Professor Trumpey, and Kayla.

Mpala obtained the majority of its water from the Ewaso Ng'iro river, which runs along the eastern border of the conservancy, until concerns over the reduction in the river's flow prompted the construction of a borehole in 2007. These concerns were well founded, as the river ran dry for the first time in 2009, and has continued to run dry during each subsequent dry season. This is likely a result of increased withdrawals upstream of Mpala. Typical surface water issues concerning bacterial pathogens also make river water a less than ideal source which requires treatment prior to safe consumption. The borehole has been able to supply water since its construction, however the water was found to be high in fluoride, and is therefore not an appropriate drinking water source. Also, the water level in the borehole is dropping rapidly, questioning its future viability.

To address a potential water shortage, Mpala has added metal roofs and storage basins for rainwater collection. Rainwater is typically safe to drink, however it may be contaminated from the metal roof catchment system, and therefore also requires some treatment prior to consumption. A second option Mpala is exploring is the construction of earthen weirs to collect rainwater in natural depressions in the landscape. Issues such as water loss due to evaporation and infiltration into the soil from these open air reservoirs have not yet been analyzed. Finally, Mpala is considering a gray water reuse system, which would require some form of filtration.

Our class has divided into four main groups to address both the procurement/storage and treatment issues present at Mpala. Specifically, these groups will focus on water quality concerns, water requirements, water treatment via soil filtration, and gray water treatment via reed bed filtration.


I hope this helps set the stage for our future posts from Kenya. Until then, I need to pack!

-Emily

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