A water supply project has been initiated in Madi, Nepal, with several Danish companies bringing their expertise to the construction site. The project is called Water2Nepal, and we are eager to follow the development.
The water supply solution in Madi is not able to deliver enough water to the residents, who are currently relying on surface water and wells without knowing if the water is actually safe to drink. Previous attempts have been made to create a feasible water solution, but it has been impossible to drive any of the solutions to a point where it gained sufficient local support. Without support and local capabilities, even the most well-designed system will be destined to fail.
Tailoring the right solution
Water2Nepal covers the construction of a distribution pipe network that will supply 4,000 people with water through a daily capacity of 350 m3. The network will cover a 16 km long pipeline solution fully equipped with assets from AVK, JC Hansen and other project partners.
The purpose of the project is to:
- Deliver clean drinking water to three villages
- Test new technology and practice to obtain a high-quality solution
- Train and educate the new generation of water engineers
- Define the future criteria for water supply in Nepal
Back in March 2022, the final contracts were signed. The solution’s design has now been approved, the entrepreneurs are found, and the construction and drilling has been initiated.
The project is initiated by the non-profit organisation Jysk landsbyudvikling i Nepal (Jysk Village Development in Nepal), funded by the Grundfos Foundation (Poul Due Jensen Fond), and is managed by engineering consultancy company Envidan. After construction, the supply system will be driven by Madi Municipality under the supervision of Oxfam in Nepal. Khushbu Nirman Sewa Pvt Ltd. has been selected as the contractor, which is an advantage for the project, as they have a lot of experience with similar projects and challenges, says Surya Prajapati, who is project engineer in the Danish Envidan team.
Besides from AVK, the primary contributors to the project are Grundfos (pumps and Power Adapt), JLIN (project owner), Kamstrup (smart meters and data system), Envidan (project management and design), Oxfam (local anchoring), local entities in Madi Municipality as well as a large group of local volunteers.
A proper water solution needs quality valves
One of the main ingredients in a sustainable water network are valves that are reliable, efficient and of high quality, to avoid the hassle of cutting off vital processes in order to switch out products or perform maintenance.
AVK has taken part in work meets online during the planning phases and offered to donate and ship valves and accessories for the distribution network. The valves reached the construction site in Madi on August 30th and are now waiting to be installed.
Recent update from the construction site
As per the end of February 2023, almost 95% of the 16 km long main pipeline systems was completed, and 50% of the service connections were joined to the main distribution system.
Project Engineer from Envidan, Mr. Surya Prajapati, shares that the system will be up and running from mid-April 2023 once the pipelines, valves, and service connections are completed, and adds: "The service valves, gate valves, check valves, and hydrants that has been generously donated by AVK are crucial in the long-term operation and for the project's success".
The push-in valves are used for service connections, as shown in the pictures below, whereas the AVK gate valves will be installed soon.
The above 3D illustration shows how the final solution is expected to look when finalised. Illustration: Surya Prajapati.
The valves supplied are service connection valves, which are used to connect a home or facility to the main pipeline, and gate valves with PE ends from AVK as well as end-of-line brass ball valves from JC Hansen.
Prepping the community for system hand-over
Experts from Envidan and Danish water utilities will be following the construction phases thoroughly to ensure quality in every step. Also, they will make sure that the appointed technicians and supervisors will be fully equipped to take over the maintenance and operation tasks when the system is finally taken into use. Much of the technology and hardware is new and unknown to the local operation teams, so there is a need for ongoing training and education to ensure that the system is running as efficient and sustainable as possible.
The preparation does not stop there, as Envidan will be collaborating with Kathmandu University and Oxfam in educating future engineers about design criteria for sustainable and efficient water supply in remote areas.
Sustainable operation
The complete solution will include the distribution network, a water tower, a solar panel installation as well as a technical facility near the water tower where panels can display an overview of the current supply details in terms of quantity and water quality. To ensure the water quality, there will be performed tests from the network several times a year.
To have their home connected to the main pipeline, the residents will be paying a one-time fee corresponding to 60 USD to ensure a sustainable foundation for operation.
The system is expected to be completely finalised by the beginning of 2024.
