The Community Plumbing Challenge 2017 Legacy Project, which will complete the sustainable plan for improved drinking water and sanitation facilities at a public elementary school in Indonesia, will take place March 6-13. The dates coincide with World Plumbing Day, celebrated annually on March 11.

CPC2017 took place at the elementary school Sekolah Dasar Negeri (SDN) Cicau 02 in Cicau Village, Cikarang, Bekasi (West Java). The program was delivered in two parts: a Design Week from July 31 to Aug. 3, 2017, and a Construction Week from Nov. 9 to 15, 2017.

In 2017, Indonesia became the third country in as many years to host the international Community Plumbing Challenge program, following India in 2015 and South Africa in 2016. The event brings together design, construction and education as a means of improving public health in regions where communities are still threatened by a lack of basic sanitation and safe drinking water systems.

The upcoming Legacy Project will complete renovation of the remaining toilet facilities at SDN Cicau 02 and will include construction of another hand-washing area for the second building at the school. This work represents Phase Two of the overall plan developed by the first CPC2017 International Team during Design Week.

On completion of the CPC2017 Legacy Project, more than 60 people will have participated in the program, from backgrounds as diverse as plumbing to project management, engineering to architecture, construction to coaching, and media to public health. In yet another new development of the Community Plumbing Challenge collaborative team model, the upcoming Legacy Project will also incorporate local contractors into the fold.

“Engaging local tradespeople was key in preparing the site for our first Construction Week,” IWSH Project Manager Grant Stewart said. “Ahead of that International Team assignment last November, a team of Cicau-based contractors carried out groundworks at the school in accordance with our Design Week plan: digging trenches, preparing concrete footings and initial brickwork. Their work was vital and meant our International Team could really hit the ground running on arrival to start work on the new toilet, hand-washing and wastewater facilities.

The CPC2017 Legacy Project will once again feature students from the local vocational school system working alongside international peers. Four 11th-grade students from vocational school Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan 01, Jakarta will join three plumbing apprentices and one construction teacher representing PICAC – the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre – from Victoria, Australia.

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