Water Storage System

We are extremely grateful to the 5 donors who have funded a new water storage system at Dolma Ling Nunnery in northern India.

Water is life, but that doesn’t mean you want it dripping on your head as you sleep or running down the walls. At Dolma Ling Nunnery, home to over 230 people, access to water and water storage are important issues. The new water storage system was urgent because of the monsoon, which runs from early July to the end of September. While the monsoon rains provide a huge amount of essential water for the nunnery, the torrential rains also brought problems, such as overflowing water tanks, dampness, mold, and damage to the buildings.

The old water storage system for the main staff building was almost 20 years old and had to be replaced. The water tanks were located in the attic area of the building, but the ball cocks on the tanks often failed, especially during the heavy monsoon rains, causing the water to overflow. This led to dampness, dripping into the rooms, mold, and loss of precious water.

The Solution

The new water storage system involves moving the old, failing water storage tanks to a new, better location. The new system houses eight 500-liter water tanks, using the existing pump and gravity-fed system to save money.

The Impact

The advantages of a new water storage system can be felt every day at the nunnery.

  • The staff living quarters will no long become damp and moldy because of water tanks overflowing in the roof creating an unhealthy living situation;
  • The building housing the staff quarters will no longer be degraded by water seepage;
  • The water supply will be better controlled with much less water wasted.

This is a very practical and economic solution to providing water to the staff building from the main water system and it helps the nunnery cope with the unreliable access to water that is characteristic of the region.

You can download a PDF with full details of the project.