Bamboo as an alternative pipe material for rural water supply in Tanzania

Abstract

Bamboo pipes have been traditionally used as water conduits in many parts of the world. They are cheap to use, maintain and easy to construct, especially where the material is locally available. In Tanzania, bamboo pipes have been used since early 1970's. Over 300 km of bamboo pipelines supply water for more than 150000 tanzanians. The principle objective of this study was to observe the appropriateness of using bamboo pipes as water supply conduits with respect to specific engineering behavior as compared to conventional pipes. Present construction methodology, operation and maintenance procedures foro perating schemes and the cost aspect of thet echnology were investigated. The study was based on an intensive literature review and laboratory investigations on the hydraulic properties of bamboo pipes. /Kir10