Summer 2025
What Is a Capped Water Source?
Most people who live in communities near our Gatineau clinic get their water from underground springs which are generally free from contamination. When the spring comes up to the surface, it leaks water on to the ground and this is known as a water “source”. To collect water from these water sources, people dig out the ground around the source and the water collects in the space. They then collect the water with cans or buckets and use it for cooking and drinking. But, the water can easily become contaminated by runoff from higher ground, from animals drinking from the source or from people bathing nearby. So, in order to protect these springs and provide clean drinking water, we often try to “cap” the water source. This involves putting a concrete box around the water source with pipes leading from the box to the outside. Water from the source collects in the box and then it comes out through the pipes to be collected by people for their use. Since the pipes are always free-flowing, water that is not collected returns to the soil and goes back into the underground spring.
FHH has capped 4 large water sources in communities near our clinic, providing thousands of people with clean, potable drinking water. We count on the local Haitians who use the sources to maintain the area around the source, keeping it clean from debris and contamination. Sometimes, they let us know about problems we didn’t anticipate when we originally capped the source. One such source is in the community of Lumère, which we capped in 2019, shown here with its bright new paint:
Over time, the sources have suffered from wear and tear and we’ve been making minor repairs to them this past year. Here’s how Sous Lumère looked after that nice paint wore off:
Structurally, the source was fine but as our community development staff spoke with the people who use Sous Lumère for their water, they realized there was another problem. The source is at the bottom of a steep hill that gets very slippery when it rains. So, elderly people are unable to walk up and down to get their water. They told us they sit at the top of the hill and wait for a young person to come along who can collect water for them and carry it back up the hill. Sometimes, they have to wait for hours to find someone who is able to help them. So, we got together with the masonry foreman and a committee from the community and made plans to build stairs down to the water source as well as retaining walls along the stairs and in order to block mud and debris from flowing down the hill.
The construction is not quite finished but we’re already hearing many words of gratitude from the community members for this wonderful, practical improvement to their water-gathering efforts!
WE CHANGE LIVES
Our mission is to improve the health of the people of Haiti in a caring, compassionate manner, as a reflection of our Christian faith.
