Water, Water Everywhere

Today was an interesting and satisfying day. The EWB water team met with Tan Nayok, Chief Executive of Mae Wen sub-district, and Ajan (professor) Prasong to discuss water issues. They directed our attention to a recurring problem in the sixth village in the district, Nong Bua. We discussed how the pipes accumulate a mineral buildup that reduces pressure and flow of the water in the village. They gave us a map of the village with pipelines filled in and we had many of our questions answered.

We then headed into the village of Nong Bua itself to take a look at the wells, the filters and the pipes. They showed us some pipe sections and we were able to get an idea of the degree of buildup that is actually present. We are pretty sure that the buildup is iron and manganese, but we are now looking to get some proper tests. We will probably need to bring in some contacts/equipment from Chiang Mai to do this.

The rest of the day was spent practicing riding our motorbikes. We will eventually be using them to get around, so it was good to get some riding time before we actually hit the road. It was also very entertaining to watch some volunteers struggling not to crash, and other volunteers crash (no injuries, though).