Bokonzo Water System Serves Thousands

Recently I joined the Covenant Kids Congo team on their visit to the expanded and renewed Bokonzo water system. Thanks to CKC powered by World Vision for renewing this critical water source for the Bokonzo, Gemena II, and Camp Yola neighborhoods of Gemena.

This is an area where clean water access used to be limited. “People were getting sick because of the water problem,” Rev. Etienne Mbewa of the Covenant Church of Congo told us. “Since everyone didn’t have the means of going to the hospital for treatment, some people who were drinking that water died, adults as well as children.”

Now, clean water is flowing from the Bokonzo capped springs. We were at the top spring, which gives 1.6 gallons per second or 96 gallons per minute (wow!).

covered upper spring

Other than the CKC team and the World Vision personnel leading the visit, you cannot see anything because the work is all underground. The springs themselves, coming from the hill that I’m standing on, seep into a catchment basin in the foreground of the picture. The basin is a concrete structure, which collects the water and allows the sand to settle out. Two times per year the basin has to be cleaned out through an opening.

Pipe (left) exiting catchment and going downhill. Overflow on right.

CKC Project Leader Donn Engebretson getting safe water directly from spring

Pipes from both springs join and enter settling tank

The newly capped spring gives 1.6 gal/sec. The original capped spring, a project completed in about 1980, was redone and produces 1.3 gal/sec. That is a total of 2.9 gal/sec or 175 gal/min, distributed by gravity to thousands of people.

One of five fountains in the three neighborhoods

Pete Ekstrand is a Covenant missionary based in Gemena, DR Congo. Pete and his wife, Cindy, have served in Africa for a total of 35 years, 25 of which have been in Congo.

An earlier version of this post previously appeared on Pete and Cindy’s blog, Ekstrands in Congo. Used with permission.