View of close, outside water tap from kitchen
Close-up of outside tap and drain (white pipe is drain pipe from host family kitchen)
Municipal tap with our residence across street to right of center trees
Host mother bringing in 20 liter bucket of water
Bad new – good news – bad news – good new – bad news and so on!
Bad news: there is no running water in my house
Good news: the is a water tap about 10 yards from my front door
Bad news: that tap is from a bore hole and yields salty water which although okay for washing (sort of), is not okay for drinking
Good news: there is a municipal water tap about 100 yards from house with drinkable water
Bad news: that tap is turned on maybe 3-4 days a week, IF I am lucky
Maintaining a supply of drinkable water (a priority) and water for bathing (almost equally desirable) is a challenge. I think I have it rough until I recall that some other PC volunteers have to walk ~ 1 mile to fetch water from a river or travel a similar distance pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with a barrel.
I have not gone without water since I’ve been in the country. It has been alarmingly low a couple of times, but the host family has always managed to find some at the last minute. The dry months are ahead of us, so I’m hoping our luck continues to hold out.
Of all the things we, as Americans, take for granted, the ready availability of clean water may be at the top of the list.