Water has arrived at Reteti!
Our borehole project is complete!
Thanks to your generous contributions, we have successfully installed a water pump and completed a direct pipeline to the sanctuary.
Reteti now has a reliable water source that will sustain us even during dry seasons.
We are so happy to share the latest news from the Reteti Borehole Project. All thanks to you and your generous donations, a water pump has been installed and a direct pipeline to the sanctuary has been completed! For the first time ever, Reteti has a sustainable water source to carry us through dry seasons – and it will also allow us to expand.
WATCH: The milestone moment when water arrived at Reteti via the newly built pipeline!
Digging deep trenches to lay the 2km pipeline was quite an arduous task – and many factors had to be considered as we kept edging our way closer to Reteti.
Namunyak Conservancy is home to one of the largest populations of wild elephants in the world, and as they can easily smell water, they’d dig up pipes that are set too close to the ground. To be elephant-proof, we needed to lay the pipeline deep underground. Recent rains also slowed our work down and at times, roads were so impassable that it was difficult to reach some parts of the site! As always, we were also careful to respect this incredible natural wilderness and didn’t uproot any trees while digging trenches for the pipeline.
WATCH: The borehole team preparing for the pipeline.
As you may already know, our remote setting means that everything at Reteti runs on solar power – and solar panels are now also powering the borehole that ensures the continuous flow of water to the sanctuary. It’s a privilege to be able to harness the abundance of sunlight we receive in this region – which is about seven to eight peak hours per day!
How our borehole came about
Water shortages have sadly become part of daily life in Kenya’s northern areas, and weather and rainfall patterns have been severely disrupted for more than four decades. As we realised we had to invest in a permanent supply of water to fulfil our responsibility to raise and rewild Reteti’s orphans, our borehole project was born.
With the input of hydrology experts, an aquifer that was suitable for a borehole was identified and with your help, drilling started in earnest earlier this year. It was a joyous day when at 256m, we finally struck water!
This watershed moment marked all the effort and hard work that already went into the project – and highlighted everyone’s commitment to finding solutions for the challenges we face due to climate change. Your involvement and contributions further enabled us to install a pump to draw water to the surface and lay this all-important pipeline – which is now ensuring a sustainable water source.
A lifeline for wildlife
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary uses 20,000 litres of water per day, and while we’ve been fortunate enough to receive enough water from a spring in the Mathews Mountains since we welcomed our first orphans in 2016, surface water sources can dry up during prolonged periods of drought.
We, therefore, needed an alternative to cope in times of scarcity. The new borehole and this pipeline will provide a consistent supply of water even during the driest of seasons – all thanks to your help!
WATCH: Elephants enjoying water in the boma
The gift of water
We understand the importance of digging deep when confronted with challenges and will do whatever it takes to provide the highest level of care for our elephants. Thank you again for supporting us on this journey and for making our borehole a reality. If you’d like to continue your support, you can click the button below to donate to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary.
