Technical Guidelines for the Construction and Maintenance of Hand Dug Wells.

These are the first in a series of Water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) guidelines to be developed in Sierra Leone. Their application is meant to safeguard both public and private investment in water supply. The guidelines set out the minimum standards that are expected in the construction of hand dug wells for village water supply, self-supply, and semi collective water supply as defined in the Rural Water Supply and Small Towns Strategy (RWSSTS) Document. Some of the provisions of the Technical Guidelines document are mandatory. However, due to the variety of local conditions and socioeconomic circumstances across the country, as well as the need for communities and households to select options that work best for them, some provisions are recommendations, and their adoption is left to discretionary judgement.
For the purpose of this document, hand dug well construction has been arranged into four stages, with each stage requiring a set of actions. The stages follow: Stage 1 Community sensitization and mobilization (Actions: Stimulating demand; Community contribution; Setting up postconstruction monitoring); Stage 2: Site selection (Community consultation; Site selection to ensure health and hygiene as well as a productive well); Stage 3: Well construction (Mobilization; appointment of contractor and supervisor; Excavation, lining, completion; Well maintenance); Stage 4: Handpump installation (Installation; Operation and maintenance).