Country: Tanzania

Starting Date: 2007 - Completion Date: 2007

Project: C.PP.S. Water Project

Project Supervisor: Tommaso Colonna 

Subjects: Geoelectrical survey for water resources

The aim of the project was to evaluate the depth, the spread and the properties of the groundwater of Itigi, Malongwe, Mitundu and Kintinku villages surrounding areas, according to the agreement between C.PP.S Water Project and the Geophysics Laboratory of the Centre of GeoTechnologies (Siena University).

The lack of water is the most urgent problem that people of these villages have to face everyday. In Itigi, Malongwe, Mitundu and Kintinku there are some rainwater reserve storages used by local people for health service and for basic needs. These water reserves are not sufficient to satisfy the bare requirements of whole villages.

The project has produced

• The final purpose of this study is to indicate, where it’s possible, potential locations for future water drilling, using geological, geophysical and hydrogeological data. This type of analysis is useful to decrease the drilling risks and geological uncertainty, furthermore it enhances soil and underground details knowledge. In the past some water drilling was performed in these areas, but they didn’t intercept saturated levels even if they had reached 200 metres depth. For every geoelectrical survey were carried out GPS (Global Positioning System) measurements referring to fixed structure on field. The placement of geoelectrical surveys weren't easy because of a lack of detailed cartography.
• To help the future location of geophysical information about each area, we created a basic map available within GIS. Recognizing the most important fixed elements and the geographical coordinates in GIS setting, it was possible to confine on field a potential area to explore by a drill, minimizing the drilling risk. In every working area we detected evident saturated layers correlated to efficient groundwater contained in superficial deposits (10-25 meters from the topsoil). These areas were considered as potential drilling zone; even if it is impossible to estimate the productivity of these saturated levels, which depends on the season, we could calculate the drilling risk on a specific zone using the Archie’s law. Thanks to these studies, in September 2007 C.PP.S Water Project realized a well in Itigi village: the water that now is been pumping from this well is enough to satisfy the Itigi village needs.