EWB-USA supported the efforts of the University of New Hampshire student organization Students Without Borders tp work with the village of Santisuk, Thailand on their water systems. The students traveled to Santisuk and successfully implemented the building of a spring box and an irrigation and future needs survey. Students Without Borders hopes to return to Santisuk in 2005 to finish the irrigation system for the village.

Highlights

• Rebuilt spring box and added two new drainage berms.

• Installed new 12ft, perforated outflow pipe from spring box to minimize fouling in pipe system.

• Sampled and analyzed village drinking water quality.

• Conducted irrigation water survey for future project.

• Met with every household in Santisuk to discuss their water needs and crop production methods.

Total Project Cost: $4,500

Project Summary

In 2003 a group from UNH installed a roughing filter, two slow sand filters, a closed storage tank, and a piping system from a nearby spring to Santisuk. They also installed a spring box. This solved the drinking water quality issue for the village, however the system would clog during heavy monsoon rains.

In June 2004 four UNH students, four Thai University students and a professional mentor returned to Santisuk to rebuild the spring box and make a site survey of the irrigation system. This included a concrete block foundation with rebar reinforced mortar construction as well as a timber frame and corrugated roof. A new perforated outflow pipe was also installed. New drainage ditches were built on the steep hillsides to minimize runoff and the area surrounding the spring box was graded.

In addition, the villages communal ditch irrigation system was surveyed for a future upgrade. EWB-USA members also spoke extensively with village members to determine their irrigation practices.

While the Lahu people of northern Thailand have long been nomadic hunters, Santisuk primarily depends on agriculture for food and income. The village of Santisuk was settled ten years ago by a group of Lahu who had emigrated from Burma to escape civil unrest The greatest problem faced in Santisuk was lack of a plentiful and safe year round drinking water source.

Engineers Without Borders - USA joined by Students Without Borders of University of New Hampshire in 2002 to implement a four-part project, including:

1. Drinking water filtration system
2. Waste water treatment
3. Irrigation system upgrade
4. Health and economic survey

Future plans for Santisuk include the implementation of the irrigation system upgrade in 2005. An important goal for this project is to develop improved water systems that villagers understand so that they can share this technology with surrounding villages. Our second goal is to involve Thai University students in these projects so that they can gain experience starting their own sustainability projects in the future.