After chapel, we checked on the status of the enclosure. It was hardening nicely. Timothy told us we needed to remove about 2" of gravel and clay from the floor of the enclosure so it would be easier to service the valves and junction if necessary. So we did that using a mason’s trowel and a bucket. The space to work in inside the enclosure was pretty tight but we managed. We used the opportunity then to fill the dirt back into the holes and trenches we had dug to locate the various water lines.
About the time we finished that task, it was time to go retrieve additional water samples we’d put into the incubators on Wednesday. We’d drawn a sample from the mission house kitchen sink, a sample from the well 1 borehole in front of the hospital, and another sample from the well 3 borehole. All were yellow indicating the presence of coliforms but only the sample from the well 3 borehole fluoresced indicating the presence of E. Coli. That was far short of the news we were hoping for. Now we had successfully connected the new water tower to the supply line taking water to the staff living quarters, the 5-in-1 units – a connection they have been waiting on for months and months – only to discover that the well the water tank is supplied by is contaminated with E. Coli. Our guess is that the new well was dug much too near the existing septic tanks/soak-aways behind the lab, radiology, and operating theater.
Dr. Joan had gone to Choma about 100 km north on other business. After discussing this with Dr. Dan, Jon spoke with Dr. Joan about purchasing chlorine to pour into the well to see if we could freshen it. Dr. Joan was able to buy 60 pint bottles of chlorine and to bring them back with her in the evening. Is it enough?
Jon and Larry went to the city’s water treatment facility and spoke with the technician on duty. We wanted to know what the drinking water standards were generally and what to do about E. Coli in particular. The technician said the Zambian standards are very similar to or identical with the W.H.O. standards. He indicated that 0 E. Coli was the acceptable standard. He thought we could add a chlorine filter or feeder that continuously adds a little chlorine to the water to keep it free of E. Coli but that if that didn’t work, we may have to abandon the well. He gave the contact information of the offices of his company in Choma or Kaloma to find out where the bulk chlorine might be purchased and the unit in the company that could do a broad spectrum test of the water for pH, minerals, chemicals, and bacteria. For everything, except the E. Coli test which requires incubating the samples, the tests have to be conducted within an hour of drawing the samples. It will almost certainly be necessary for their team to visit Zimba to conduct the tests.
Larry went back to the mission house to write up notes on the activities of the visit and prepare for our dinner guests for the evening. After lunch, Jon and Bob went back to try drain the new water storage tank. To do this they had to disconnect the down pipe about 10' off the ground. They had quite a bit of difficulty with this but separated it enough to let the water spray out. They also hauled wheelbarrow loads of sand and stone for Timothy to use to make the lid for the protective box around the T-junction.
In the evening, we had seven guests for dinner including two children of two of the male hospital workers. Each of team had been allowed to invite someone they’d been working with to come for dinner and conversation. Bob, Jon, and Larry invited Dennis and Elisha. RJ invited the teacher he had been helping all week. Dr. Kari and Barbara invited Anna who translated for them and whom we’ve known from previous trips. Lori and nurse Kari invited Ventor who is the main person in the pharmacy where they had helped a great deal. Barbara had cooked a vegetable beef stew or soup and a bread pudding. Both were delicious and the Zambians – although suspicious of the bread pudding initially, gobbled up everything just like the rest of us. Everyone had a very nice relaxing evening.
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