MIWR – GONU MWRI - GOSS
Technical Guidelines
for the Construction and Management of
Improved Hafirs
A Manual for Field Staff and Practitioners
April 2009
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Table of contents
Page
Foreword …………………………………………………………………… 2
Acknowledgement …………………………………………………………… 4
Acronyms …………………………………………………………………… 5
Summary of this document……………………………………………
1. Introduction …………………………………………………………… 6
1.1The purpose of this document and frequency
of updating …………………………………………………………… 6
1.2 Mobilization of stakeholders …………………………………………… 6
1.3 Technology options …………………………………………………… 7
2. Guidelines for selection of improved hafirs …………………………… 7
3. Design procedures of improved hafirs …………………………………… 11
3.1 Standardized sizes of hafirs …………………………………………… 13
3.2 Source of incoming water into impounding reservoir of hafirs …… 14
3.3 Design specification of components of improved hafirs. …………… 15
4. Construction of improved hafirs …………………………………………… 17
5. Management, operation, maintenance and capacity building for
improved hafirs …………………………………………………………… 18
5.1 Management …………………………………………………………… 18
5.2 Operation and maintenance …………………………………………… 19
5.3 Capacity building …………………………………………………… 19
6. Recommendations …………………………………………………………… 21
Annexes
1
Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources – Government of National Unity
Foreword
Significant progress in the provision of water and sanitation services in Sudan has been
achieved in the last few years. This is attributed to the increased access to many remote
villages as a result of the three major peace agreements, the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA) between north and south Sudan, the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA)
and the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA), that were signed in 2005 and 2006
respectively. This access has allowed the Ministries of Irrigation and Water Resource
(MIWR) of the Government of National Unity (GoNU), state governments and sector
partners (including NGOs and the private sector) to expand water and sanitation services
in many areas. This prioritizing of the expansion and sustainability of water and
sanitation services in urban and rural areas throughout the county, including to the
nomadic population has resulted in a steady annual increase in water and sanitation
coverage for the citizens of Sudan.
With this expansion in implementation, the MIWR recognized the need to harmonize the
various methodologies utilized by the various actors in the implementation of water and
sanitation interventions. It was agreed that this could be best achieved through the
development and distribution of Technical Guidelines, outlining best practices for the
development of the 14 types of water supply and sanitation facilities in the Sudan. These
Technical Guidelines, compiled in a systematic manner will undoubtedly set standards
and provide guidance for all water and sanitation sector implementing partners.
The MIWR of the GoNU of the Sudan is grateful to UNICEF, Sudan for financial and
technical support in the preparation of the Technical Guidelines.
I believe these Technical Guidelines will go a long way to improving WES sector
programmes, allowing for scaling up implementation of activities towards achieving the
MDG goal for water supply and sanitation in Sudan.
Minister
Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources
Government of National Unity, Khartoum
Date ………………………………………
2
Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation – Government of Southern Sudan
Foreword
The historic signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005,
culminated in the establishment of an autonomous Government of Southern Sudan
(GOSS) and its various ministries, including the Ministry of Water Resources and
Irrigation (MWRI). The CPA has enabled the GOSS to focus on the rehabilitation and
development of the basic services. The processing of the Southern Sudan Water Policy
within the framework of the 2005 Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan (ICSS) and the
Interim National Constitution (INC) was led by the MWRI. This Water Policy is
expected to guide the sector in the planning and monitoring of water facilities during
implementation. The Water Policy addresses issues like Rural Water Supply and
Sanitation (RWSS) and Urban Water Supply and Sanitation (UWSS). The Southern
Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) of GOSS approved the Water Policy of Southern
Sudan in November 2007.
The importance of developing effective water supply and sanitation services is
universally recognized as a basis for improving the overall health and productivity of the
population, and is particularly important for the welfare of women and children under
five. Considering the current low coverage of safe drinking water supply and basic
sanitation facilities as a result of the protracted civil war in the country during the last
five decades, there are enormous challenges ahead. With the unrecorded number of IDPs
and returnees that have resettled in their traditional homelands and the emergence of new
settlements/towns in all ten states of SS, the demand for water and sanitation services is
immense. There is need for implicit policies, strategies, guidelines and manuals to ensure
provision of sustainable supply of quality and accessible water and sanitation services.
The preparation of these WES Technical Guidelines at this stage is very timely, as it
enables us to further develop our strategies and prepare action plans for the
implementation of the Water Policy. It will also allow us to strengthen existing best
practices as well as to test new experiences that will create room for future development.
During the development and finalization of these guidelines for water supply and
sanitation facilities, we have consulted WASH sector partners at State level and partner
non-government agencies through successive consultative meetings, and appreciate their
contribution, which has assisted in finalizing these documents.
The MIWR of the GOSS is thankful to UNICEF, Juba for financial and technical support
for the preparation of these Technical Guidelines.
We call upon our WASH sector partners to give us their continuous feedback from the
field for the improvement of these guidelines and manuals. We believe that successful
implementation and future sustainable service provision will depend on effective
coordination and close collaboration among all partners including government, non-
government and beneficiary communities.
3
Mr. Joseph Duer Jakok,
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation
Government of Southern Sudan, Juba
Date ……………………………………….
4
Acknowledgements
Special thanks go to Mr Mohammed Hassan Mahmud Amar, Mr Eisa Mohammed and
Mr Mudawi Ibrahim, for their directions on GONU’s sector policy; Engineer Isaac
Liabwel, on GOSS’s water policy; Mr Sampath Kumar and Dr. Maxwell Stephen
Donkor, for their direction on the WASH sector from the UNICEF perspective, and for
the provision of relevant documents & information, and facilitating & organizing a
number of forums to discuss draft documents.
The author would also like to thank WES and UNICEF staff of North Darfur, North
Kordofan, South Kordofan, Sinnar, Gedaref, Kassala, Red Sea and Blue Nile States; the
staff of DRWSS, and UWC in Central Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warap and
Upper Nile States; and the staff of UNICEF Zonal Offices responsible for the
arrangement of meetings with sector partners and successful field trips to the various
facilities.
Many thanks to Emmanuel Parmenas from MWRI, and Mr Mohammed Habib and Mr
Jemal Al Amin from PWC, for their contribution in collecting documents and
information at the national and state levels, facilitating field trips and contacting relevant
persons at state level and to the latter two for their support in translating documents and
information from Arabic into English.
The completion of this document would not have been possible without the contributions
and comments of staff of SWC, PWC, MIWR, MCRD, MWRI, MOH in GONU, MAF,
MARF, MOH MHLE, MWLCT and SSMO in GOSS, UNICEF, National and
International NGOs like Oxfam GB, Pact Sudan, SNV, SC-UK, and Medair, and review
workshop participants at state and national levels and members of technical working
groups.
5
Acronyms
APO Assistant Project Officer
BS British Standard
CPA Comprehensive Peace Agreement
DG Director General
DPA Darfur Peace Agreement
ESPA Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement
GONU Government of National Unity
GOSS Government of Southern Sudan
MCRD Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development of GOSS
MIWR Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources of GONU
MWRI Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of GOSS
NTU Nephlometric Turbidity Unit
NWC National Water Corporation
PWC Public Water Corporation
PM Project Manager
PVC Polyvinylchloride
RPO Resident Project Officer
RWC Rural Water Corporation
SSMO Sudanese Standard and Measurement Organization
SWC State Water Corporation
TCU True Color Unit
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
WATSAN Water and Sanitation
WES Water and Environmental Sanitation
WHO World Health Organization
6
Document Summary
This summary provides a brief overview of the document and is only meant as a quick
reference to the main norms. Reference to the whole document is advised for accurate
implementation.
Norms
• An ‘improved hafir’ is one with a water treatment system that can provide drinking
water primarily for human consumption. A hafir without a water treatment system
that is used for purposes other than drinking may not be classified as ‘improved
hafir’.
Design considerations
Like any engineering structure, improved hafir needs to be well planned. The following
steps are recommended in the planning phase:
• Preliminary survey (reconnaissance study) of the area.
• Feasibility study
• Hafir design: this includes: Comparison of various designs of improved hafirs, and of
the various components, to select the best option , protection strategies/measures
against potential pollution and contamination, and soil and water conservation
measures of the catchment area, cost estimation and cost sharing among all
stakeholders, requirements and actions for capacity building, implementation
schedule etc
• One of the factors, in the selection of the design of an improved hafir, is the
estimation of the design human population.
• The potential livestock population which may use the water from the hafir should be
added into the total design population figure.
• In determining the dimensions the size of the hafir: factors such as the surface area
that will be exposed to evaporation, effect of sedimentation of silt materials in
decreasing the volume of the hafir, and misuse and waste during withdrawal and
animal watering, must be considered.
• Since a hafir is mainly a gravity system, a topographical survey covering a wide area
is very essential.
• A hydrological and geological survey should identify different parameters like peak
flow, possible quantity and quality of raw water, soil analysis to identify the type of
soil of the proposed hafir site, and types and locations of other locally available
construction materials etc.
• Hafirs should be selected in places where there is clay soil and where there are
available construction materials. The depth of the clay soil should be determined
during the feasibility study using augering kits at least at three points on each hafir
site
• Estimation of the expected quality of raw water could be done by extrapolation using
the available data in the area or by measuring the turbidity of water in the nearby
hafirs, which are selected randomly or specifically during the feasibility study.
