Building a Channel in J-section

In order to set an example for the community and to learn more about the dynamics around community-based upgrading, the greywater team, composed of the four WPI students and four community co-researchers, implemented a greywater channel in Langrug’s J-section. The location was chosen based on the existence of greywater problems and the proximity to a crèche. The greywater team attempted to encourage community involvement through informal discussion with community members, and was able to enlist the help of two community members living near the site. One of these community members helped daily with the work, and became an overseer for other greywater intervention projects after the first channel was finished. A stone-lined, cement-bonded channel was chosen for J-section based on suggestions from community members and discussion among the greywater team members. With support from WPI’s Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division, the greywater team obtained the necessary materials for the channel, which was constructed over the course of about a week. After completing the channel, the greywater team checked and documented its condition periodically. Over time, trash, food waste, and sand began accumulating in the channel, prompting the team to work with the community members living around the channel to develop a plan for regular maintenance and cleaning.