In 2018, eight villages inhabited by five cultural groups agreed to put aside past conflicts so they could enjoy the benefits of a safe, clean water supply. The resulting water system is now a common and enduring thread that, no matter what else happens, will unite them and will be protected by them for everyone to enjoy into the future.
The project area is 30 km (about 19 miles) northwest of Goroka, in Daulo District, in the Eastern Highlands Province. With a total cost of US$62,969, the project was supported by a Rotary Foundation global grant of $24,011, along with funds from a number of Rotary districts and clubs in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The Rotary Club of Goroka managed the project, and Osivo Ombuano, then the club's secretary, led the effort. Ian Cameron of the Rotary Club of Mitchelton, Queensland, and Wes Nichols of the Rotary Club of Toowong, Queensland, served as project directors and mentored the project delivery team.
The system supplies clean water to 3,000 villagers in eight villages for the first time ever. The water comes from a spring and is delivered through a gravity-feed system that has few parts, which will make maintaining it relatively easy and inexpensive. Construction materials were purchased locally, and the villagers completed construction within six weeks. Over 7 km (4.3 miles) of pipe were trenched as part of the project, tanks were installed to store the water, and 52 communal taps now provide free-flowing water to clusters of houses, schools, churches, and health clinics.
The spring can supply 2.25 liters (.6 gallons) per second — that's up to 65 liters (17 gallons) per person per day. Water from the Asaro and Gota Rivers, although not fit to drink, supplements the water supply to irrigate crops, helping drive the community's economic development.
Before the project began, a memorandum of understanding was developed between the five tribal groups and the owner of the water supply source to share the water among the villages. This agreement was used as the basis for a policy document, which is registered with the local court and is enforceable by law.
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