Document 523 ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS REPORT

Transcription

1 Document 523 ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS REPORT CHAPTER: University of Alaska Anchorage COUNTRY: United States COMMUNITY: Rhema Grace Orphanage PROJECT: PREPARED BY Wesley C. Phelps Sunday January 17, 2010 ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS-USA

2 Alternatives Analysis Report Part 1 Administrative Information 1.0 Contact Information Title Name Phone Chapter Project Leads Wesley Phelps wesleycphelps@yahoo.com President Robert Champion rchampion20@hotmail.com Mentor #1 Nancy Hibbert nancyhibbert@gmail.com EWB-SCA Mentor #2 Chuck Stilwell PE Chuck.Stilwell@bp.com EWB-SCA Faculty Advisor (if applicable) Utpal Dutta Phd afud@uaa.alaska.edu Health and Safety Fabrice Evengue Officer fabriceevengue@yahoo.fr Assistant Health and Safety Officer Anna Ferntheil asamf34@uaa.alaska.edu NGO/Community Peter Njodzeka info@lwdgc-africa.org Contact 6288 Education Lead Brittany Barkshire asbdb19@uaa.alaska.edu Travel History Dates of Travel August 2009 Assessment or Implementation Assessment Description of Trip Collect information sufficient to develop a plan, based on needs identified by the orphanage and the goals of EWB, which can be developed into an engineered design that could be implemented in two weeks one year later. 3.0 Project Location Longitude: ' 5" E Latitude: ' 43" N 2007 Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved Page 2 of 7

3 Alternatives Analysis Report Part 2 Technical Information 1.0 INTRODUCTION This document is provided to create a record of the process and methodology used to develop the scope of the proposed project; it will be submitted so that the changes in the proposed plans for Cameroon, Africa made by can be approved. Three areas for development are included: a rain catchment system, a stove, and a mechanical hand pump. 2.0 PROGRAM BACKGROUND In August of 2009, a team including two students and one professional engineer conducted an assessment of the conditions at the Rhema Grace Orphanage. The assessment trip found that there were many projects that could be made to improve the living conditions of the children that live in the orphanage. After considering the needs of the orphanage, the sustainability and health mission outlined by EWB national, and the requests of our donors, EWB-UA developed a plan that would include a new wash station, a cafeteria, a new water storage tank, and a water and wastewater pipe system. felt that this plan satisfied all groups involved. The construction time was estimated to take several weeks and costs were anticipated to exceed $80,000. However, after months of planning and fundraising, it became clear that the scope of the project was too large to complete in an effective and timely manner with the funds available. It was therefore necessary to reduce the scope of the project and maximize the positive impact on the orphanage. At this point we considered two alternatives, to simply reduce our plans or to rescope the entire effort. To simply reduce our scope would have been simpler but we were concerned that the needs identified by the orphanage in our assessment would be compromised without the entirety of our initial plan. Therefore, we chose to re-scope our entire efforts starting with the needs identified by the orphanage. 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF COMPARISON METHODOLOGY The comparison of alternatives consisted of the following steps: a. Evaluate needs identified by the orphanage; b. identify alternatives to meet needs; c. evaluate alternatives; and d. prioritize/reduce alternatives. a. Evaluate needs identified by the orphanage: Our comparison began with the list of the top needs identified by the orphanage. These needs were agreed upon by a panel consisting of the managers, staff and children of the orphanage and were collected in our 2007 Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved Page 3 of 7

4 site assessment survey. We evaluated each of the needs according to the following criteria: rank of importance to the orphanage; mandates of EWB (sustainability, equality, local procurement, etc.); cost; time; funding opportunities; maintenance; and our EWB- UAA chapter s capability. b. Develop Alternatives to meet prioritized needs: For each need identified by the orphanage, we conceptually applied all the alternatives we have discussed since starting this project (see list below). [suggest describing where these alternatives came from a bit more.] c. Evaluate Alternatives: A list of the pros and cons for each alternative was developed using these criteria: rank of importance to the orphanage; mandates of EWB (sustainability, equality, local procurement, etc.); cost; time; funding opportunities; maintenance; and our chapter s capability. d. Prioritize/Reduce Alternatives: The field of alternatives was reduced to three viable projects using the above criteria, with a focus on the needs of the orphanage, EWB-USA mandates, and our capability. 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES The team we sent to the Rhema Grace Orphanage in August 2009 had a chance to meet and discuss the orphanage s most pressing concerns and what we could do to help them alleviate those concerns. The group they met with consisted of the manager of the orphanage, the staff of the orphanage, and the children themselves. The team compiled a list of everything the orphanage needed and possible solutions to those needs. Needs Identified by the Orphanage by Importance Electricity Classrooms Administration and Organization Medicine Food and Financial Support Dining Facilities Dormitories Improve the kitchen Reading Room (already being built/repaired as of Oct. 2009) Proposed Solutions Electrical service line 3km Cafeteria Hand and Dish Washing Sinks Washing Pavilion Associated Grey-water System 2007 Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved Page 4 of 7

5 New Borehole (well) Hand Pump in existing well alongside current system Hand Pump Sourced in Country Solar Compatible Pump Solar Panels In-Creek Power Generation 'Play Pump' modeled after Water Tower and Additional Tank Rain Catchment System Generators Site Drainage Solar Lighting New Kitchen Roof Wood stove with chimney 5.0 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES Electricity was not a part of our original scope but some of their reasons for wanting it are addressed. They currently have a well that was installed by Rotary International about one year ago. The quality of the water is very good but it is expensive for the orphanage to pump the water with an electric pump and diesel generator. Consequently, they do not use the water except to drink. They do not even use it in the toilets, showers, and sinks provided by Rotary with the well. Therefore, finding methods to increase the use of clean water from the existing well would address their desire for improved health and maximize the previous gifts of Rotary. We intend to achieve this in two ways. A rain catchment system will provide clean, low cost water in the rainy season and a hand pump will provide low cost clean water all year. Of course, water was not the only reason they would like electricity. It would be beneficial in many other ways, but we concluded that running service lines from the grid, about 3 km, was too large and costly a project for our group. In addition it would not provide the most effective option for improving health and would be unsustainable both in terms of operational cost. We also considered the unpredictability of working with a utility in Cameroon and the difficulty that could present. Solar panels have been considered as an power source, but eliminated on the basis of trouble in the area with vandalism and maintenance. Hydroelectric power generation was eliminated on the grounds of cost and time. The lighting aspect of solar lighting was eliminated from the scope considering it is of lesser value to health than finding a way to procure water more inexpensively. Classrooms were eliminated from our consideration because they currently have some, though insufficient, and it is difficult to make a direct connection between them and health. The 2007 Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved Page 5 of 7

6 size of such a project also seemed outside the capacity of our group and the orphanage is currently having a reading room constructed that could double as a classroom. The request for help with administration and organization cannot be addressed in the scope of our project as well, due to time and cost restraints. Medicine could not be considered because that is not our area of expertise. Finally, food and financial support will not be provided in the scope of our project due to our lack of resources and the demand of sustainability mandated by EWB. Dining facilities were the bulk of our original plan, as a separate facility to their existing kitchen, but after much effort found to be too large a project for us. We feel we can however affect enormous improvement to their lives by improving the kitchen. A large part of the reason they wanted dining facilities was that the existing kitchen is nearly uninhabitable and certainly unhealthy. Cooking is done on an open fire and the roof leaks badly. The combination results in a dark, moldy, smoky environment that undoubtedly leads to health problems. We plan to install a new roof as part of a rain catchment system and build a cook-stove to maximize the use of their current assets before building new things. The rain catchment system, in addition to providing affordable clean water, requires almost no maintenance and would include a new roof for the kitchen. With the addition of the wood cook-stove, the building would be inhabitable and healthy. These improvements would provide, in part, a place for people to eat like a cafeteria, which the orphanage asked for and many other benefits. Dormitories were eliminated from our consideration for three reasons. The orphanage currently has facilities although they are rented. There would be little direct health benefit. The cost and time required is outside our capacity. 6.0 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE Our preferred alternative(s), our scope, is three fold including: 1. a hand pump; 2. a rain catchment system; and 3. a wood cook-stove. 1. Hand Pump We chose to create a design including a hand pump for the borehole to reduce the cost of providing clean water. A hand pump was chosen because play-pumps are unavailable to our knowledge. We have also identified a type that can fit in tandem with the current electric pump in the same borehole. This will create a redundancy and increase the reliability of clean water production. Providing adequate clean water will improve the health at the orphanage. The cost is low and will maximize the current system. The system can be installed in about three hours with two people and is highly sustainable. We intend to secure and install a locally available pump so that parts may be acquired with ease. Maintenance is low and relatively simple. This effort will also likely be supported by Rotary International financially, a partner of ours with an interest in maintaining and maximizing the system they installed about a year ago Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved Page 6 of 7

7 2. Rain Catchment System A rain catchment system is a part of our scope because it is a third redundancy in providing clean water and a second in clean, cheap water. It would be relatively inexpensive to install and maintain. The existing roof could be used on the dormitory and a new roof will be installed on the kitchen having other interests met, as mentioned above. This system would improve health, save money, but highly sustainable, require little maintenance and install quickly. It has also been successfully demonstrated in many cases. 3. Cook Stove The cook-stove was chosen as a part of the project because it would reduce the required fuel (reducing the demands on the surrounding forest), exhaust the smoke from the kitchen (a serious health problem), demonstrated success by other EWB chapters, low cost of construction, local materials, low maintenance, low cost and achievability in our time frame. believes that this scope will provide the orphanage with the greatest benefit while staying small enough that it can be successfully implemented with the given amount of time and money we have to expend Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved Page 7 of 7