Catchment News

Donation of EPA hydrometric equipment to Engineers Without Borders

| in News, Stories

The EPA upgraded their surface water hydrometric stations and groundwater level monitoring sites to telemetric data loggers during 2016 and 2017.

As a result, the EPA had a large number of obsolete water level monitoring devices for which we no longer had a use. In line with the Agency’s sustainability goals, specifically to promote reuse and recycling, it was decided to investigate if an aid organisation could be found who could put the old equipment to good use. In March 2017, the EPA and local authorities donated a consignment of obsolete water level monitoring equipment to Engineers without Borders (EWB).

We have recently received an update regarding the reuse of this equipment. Some of the units donated are now being installed in Arua, Northern Uganda for water supply monitoring in refugee camps. EWB’s regional partner organisation, Malteser International, have developed over 30 water supply boreholes at refugee settlements in the region. The local authorities and the UN have made it mandatory to monitor the water level in all water supply boreholes to ensure water is abstracted from the aquifers sustainably. The devices donated by the EPA have been repurposed to provide this monitoring capability in these boreholes. It is great to think that this equipment now has a fresh lease of life providing water managers in Uganda with a means of ensuring the sustainable development of their groundwater resource.

This reuse of obsolete equipment is a good example of the EPA showing leadership in reusing resources and contributing towards a wider, global circular economy. We will keep you posted with future updates.

Conor Quinlan, EPA Hydrometrics and Groundwater Section

Learn more:

Engineers without Borders Ireland www.ewb-ireland.org

 

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