{"id":109229,"date":"2016-02-16T09:31:17","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T14:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=109229"},"modified":"2023-06-27T12:20:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T16:20:06","slug":"improving-the-water-supply-in-a-drought-stricken-village","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2016\/02\/improving-the-water-supply-in-a-drought-stricken-village\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving the Water Supply in a Drought-Stricken Village"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-version=\"6\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BB2a5pXy7zv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A video posted by UConn (@uconn)<\/a> on <time style=\"font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;\" datetime=\"2016-02-16T14:21:41+00:00\">Feb 16, 2016 at 6:21am PST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\" async=\"\" defer=\"defer\"><\/script><br \/>\nThree UConn engineering students are working in partnership with a village in Ethiopia to help improve the water supply.<\/p>\n<p>During winter break, the three students, who are all members of the UConn chapter of <a href=\"http:\/\/ewb.engr.uconn.edu\/\">Engineers Without Borders<\/a>, traveled to the village to begin surveying for a project to improve the community\u2019s water infrastructure.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_109139\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109139\" style=\"width: 540px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CrackedSoil-1.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-109139\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-109139 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CrackedSoil-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"The end of Abba Samual River to the north side of the village. The cracking in the soil indicates that it\u2019s almost pure clay, which makes agriculture and irrigation extremely difficult.\" width=\"540\" height=\"360\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CrackedSoil-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CrackedSoil-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CrackedSoil-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CrackedSoil-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CrackedSoil-1-150x100.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 540px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 540\/360;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-109139\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The end of Abba Samual River to the north side of the village. The cracking in the soil indicates that it\u2019s almost pure clay, which makes agriculture and irrigation extremely difficult.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The village, called the Woreta Zuria Administrative Kebele, has an extensive dry season, lasting nine months of the year. The residents depend on agricultural production for their livelihood, and this year is particularly difficult for them, because of the drought that Ethiopia is experiencing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe community we\u2019re working in is entirely relying on agriculture for sustenance,\u201d says Kristin Burnham &#8217;19 (ENG, CLAS), a double major in environmental engineering and molecular and cell biology.<\/p>\n<p>Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a student-led organization that designs and constructs sustainable engineering solutions for low income communities in the United States and abroad.<\/p>\n<p>The team is at the start of a potential multi-year partnership with the village, with the town\u2019s irrigation system being their first target for improvement. There is an irrigation system in place, says Burnham, but it is built partly with concrete and partly with dirt, and there is a lot of leakage.<\/p>\n<p>This project is part of a larger partnership between UConn, the <a href=\"http:\/\/eiwr.org\/\">Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aau.edu.et\/\">Addis Ababa University<\/a> in the nation\u2019s capital, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bdu.edu.et\/\">Bahir Dar University<\/a> in Ethiopia\u2019s Amhara National Regional State. A senior design team will work to implement the solutions that the UConn students help to design.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_109142\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109142\" style=\"width: 340px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MakeshiftAquaduct.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-109142\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-109142 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MakeshiftAquaduct-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A makeshift aqueduct, constructed by the villagers using plastic tarps, sheet metal and sticks. The inventive structure has a large hole in the underside, which results in substantial water loss.\" width=\"340\" height=\"510\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MakeshiftAquaduct-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MakeshiftAquaduct-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MakeshiftAquaduct-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MakeshiftAquaduct-280x420.jpg 280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 340px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 340\/510;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-109142\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A makeshift aqueduct, constructed by the villagers using plastic tarps, sheet metal, and sticks. The inventive structure is subject to leakage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jon Mellor, professor of civil &amp; environmental engineering, who accompanied the trio on their visit in January, explains that the senior design team is working on the technical aspects of the project, while the students are working on the diverse social, logistical, and fundraising challenges of conducting projects in the developing world.<\/p>\n<p>The recent trip was intended to gather as much data as possible to determine how the UConn EWB chapter could help with the town\u2019s water issues. The data gathered will aid in designing solutions that are both sound from an engineering standpoint and fit the cultural needs of the local people.<\/p>\n<p>The trip was funded by a generous donation from United Technologies Research Center, as well as fundraising efforts by the EWB UConn Chapter.<\/p>\n<p>The town\u2019s existing irrigation system runs from the Abba Samual River to the north side of town. The original plan was to build a system to service the side of the town south of the river. When the EWB team realized that the current system wasn\u2019t fully functioning, they looked into rehabilitating that structure as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to decide if that system is worth rehabilitating and making it fully functioning,\u201d Mellor says.<\/p>\n<p>To determine the most effective way to address the community\u2019s needs, the team tested the water and soil, surveyed the land, and marked the current irrigation system using a GPS. The Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources also supplied the team with data.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan Cordier &#8217;18 (ENG), a double major in biomedical engineering and environmental engineering, says soil tests were necessary because the plan is to build a structure on top of the soil. \u201cWe want to get a look at how the soil is going to move when we put a load on it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Adds Burnham, \u201cWe also need to know how fast the water is going to infiltrate or absorb into the soil, so we can have an idea of whether it would be feasible to have a liner for the system built with the soil that\u2019s already there or if we need concrete.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-4 col-xs-12\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_109141\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109141\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MamoandRyanPermeabilityMeasurements-1.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-109141\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-109141 size-large img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MamoandRyanPermeabilityMeasurements-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Mamo Kassegn Sisay, left, a researcher with the Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources, and Ryan Cordier '18 (ENG) measure the permeability of the soil. The cylinders behind them measure how fast water travels through soil.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MamoandRyanPermeabilityMeasurements-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MamoandRyanPermeabilityMeasurements-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MamoandRyanPermeabilityMeasurements-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MamoandRyanPermeabilityMeasurements-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/MamoandRyanPermeabilityMeasurements-1-150x100.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 640px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 640\/427;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-109141\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mamo Kassegn Sisay, left, a researcher with the Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources, and Ryan Cordier &#8217;18 (ENG) measure the permeability of the soil. The cylinders behind them measure how fast water travels through soil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4 col-xs-12\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_109138\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109138\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KristinSoilLab.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-109138\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-109138 size-large img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KristinSoilLab-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Kristin Burnham '19 (ENG, CLAS) measures soil samples to later test the soil\u2019s water capacity in a soil lab at Bahir Dar University. The mechanical shaker behind her is used to determine how much rock and gravel are present in the soil.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KristinSoilLab-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KristinSoilLab-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KristinSoilLab-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KristinSoilLab-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KristinSoilLab-150x100.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 640px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 640\/427;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-109138\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kristin Burnham &#8217;19 (ENG, CLAS) measures soil samples to later test the soil\u2019s water capacity in a soil lab at Bahir Dar University. The mechanical shaker behind her is used to determine how much rock and gravel are present in the soil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4 col-xs-12\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_109137\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-109137\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KelseySoil2.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-109137\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-109137 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KelseySoil2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Kelsey Reeves '16 (ENG) tests soil samples for nutrients in her hotel room.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KelseySoil2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KelseySoil2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KelseySoil2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KelseySoil2-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KelseySoil2-150x100.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 640px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 640\/427;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-109137\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kelsey Reeves &#8217;16 (ENG) tests soil samples for nutrients in her hotel room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This year, the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/10\/19\/world\/africa\/ethiopia-a-nation-of-farmers-strains-under-severe-drought.html?_r=0\"> strong drought<\/a> affecting Ethiopia has exacerbated the village\u2019s water problems.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe precipitation is so variable,\u201d says Mellor. \u201cThey typically get irrigation starting in May, but sometimes it comes and sometimes it doesn\u2019t. When it doesn\u2019t come, it is pretty bad news for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The EWB students aim to address the complex issues in a holistic manner, says Kelsey Reeves &#8217;16 (ENG), an environmental engineering major. She says the work she\u2019s done with the chapter has helped develop her critical thinking skills.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe basically run the program like a small engineering firm,\u201d she says. \u201cWe make sure that what we\u2019re designing is economical, and that it works. What\u2019s really cool about Engineers Without Borders is that we go a step beyond [just an engineering solution]. You have to understand all these cultural and societal factors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou may come up with a really great solution to a problem, but if it doesn\u2019t work on the ground, in that society, then it doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n<p>Reeves has been working on this project from the beginning, and also traveled to the village for an initial assessment with Mellor and a doctoral student last summer. When she graduates this spring, the work will be taken over by Burnham and Cordier, who were voted team officers after their part in this trip.<\/p>\n<p>Mellor says the student group hopes to organize a trip this summer to begin implementing repairs and improvements to the irrigation system. That work will depend on findings from the data that was gathered over winter break.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three UConn engineering students are working in partnership with a village in Ethiopia to help improve the water supply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":109230,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1866,2226,1715,88,2387,2225,70],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1951],"class_list":["post-109229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-engr","category-clas","category-community-impact","category-global-affairs","category-sustainability","category-uconn-storrs","category-video"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-30 02:17:24","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109229"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200698,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109229\/revisions\/200698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/109230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109229"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=109229"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=109229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}