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What Would You Do with an Extra 6 Hours a Day?

Interview with our Water Engineer

By FOREFRONT Charity

March 4^th, 2016

6 HOURS.

That’s the amount of time women and kids in Pallapatla, India are re-investing because they no longer need to travel that long, each day, to retrieve water. Now with access to FOREFRONT’s well, potable water is only a 5-10 minute walk.

Yet, sustainability goes beyond just access. Water needs to be consistently monitored for quality in order to last. We spoke with Chan, FOREFRONT’s lead for Water and Sanitation, about our water quality efforts on our trip to India.

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What Would You Do with an Extra 6 Hours a Day?

In your eyes, how was the water in existing community wells?

As we traveled around India, we examined several community wells frequented by locals. At a glance, the water looked pretty murky. As I saw locals walking away with unsanitary water in jars suspended by poles on their backs, I realized the importance of our water initiative. The more I saw unclear water, the more clearly I saw the need for a sustainable water source.

What was the water like at FOREFRONT’s well?

The water that we pumped looked clear and clean. I was happy to see that the water well was working as I had imagined it to be. We were surrounded by a bunch of local villagers energetically pumping water and washing their hands. It was quite a unique experience.

Walk us through the quality testing process.

First, we collected water samples from the well. Then, using pipettes, we dropped water into test vials and submerged chemical strips to test for quality. The strips indicate pH, water hardness, bacteria, nitrate/nitrite, pesticide, chlorine, and lead levels, to name a few. We also collected water samples to perform more precise laboratory testing back in the US.

What do you do with the results from the chemical strips?

We then compare results from both our onsite and lab testing to water quality standards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These standards establish and regulate water quality in the US, and serve as a reference to confirm whether water in Forefront’s wells is clean and safe to use. This means that the water in Pallapatla is evaluated with the same criteria as the water we drink in the US.

How does FOREFRONT monitor the wells to ensure long-term quality?

FOREFRONT is currently developing an innovative tool to ensure long term water quality with a research group at Cornell University. Stay tuned to find out more in the coming months! We recognize that it is not enough to just build sources for clean water in these communities, but is also critical to address long term quality and sustainability.