XCMG completes sixth phase of African water-storage project, bringing long-term taps closer to villages

Phase six wrapped up and communities feel it right away

XCMG has finished the sixth stage of a long-running effort to build underground water storage facilities in parts of Africa. The latest delivery, completed this month, adds more than two hundred new storage units to communities that have struggled with unreliable water supplies. The change is immediate: where people once walked long distances for water or relied on seasonal streams, local leaders now report steadier access and less daily stress on households.

How this round was built and moved into place

The project uses large, reinforced underground chambers sometimes called “water caves” — simple, covered tanks that store rainwater and collected run-off for the dry months. For phase six, the work covered dozens of villages across multiple regions and involved clearing sites, lowering pre-made modules into excavations, and fitting them with basic piping and covers. XCMG coordinated shipping and overland transport, working with local road haulers and regional authorities to reach remote sites.

Teams trained by the company completed the installations on a tight timetable. Local crews handled site prep and follow-up work, while XCMG specialists oversaw quality checks and final commissioning. The effort included basic plumbing to connect the storage units to community taps or protected draw points, plus simple fencing or hard surfaces to keep the catchment clean.

What this means for people living nearby

Access to nearby, stored water changes daily life in easy-to-see ways. Women and children who used to spend large parts of the morning fetching water now have time for a bit more economic activity, household tasks or school. Farmers gain backup water for small plots or livestock during dry spells, and clinics and schools in villages with a unit report steadier basic supplies.

Beyond convenience, the storage reduces dependence on fragile springs and seasonal streams. That makes communities less vulnerable to a single dry season or temporary contamination of a water source. While these chambers do not solve all sanitation or supply issues, they provide a practical buffer that local leaders value.

Why XCMG is doing this work now

The project sits at the intersection of corporate responsibility and long-term relationship building. For XCMG, a large machinery and construction firm, providing visible infrastructure helps show skills and capacity in emerging markets while meeting public expectations that big firms contribute to social needs. The program also fits wider cooperation between Chinese companies and African governments, where firms often combine commercial work with aid-style projects.

Officials at XCMG describe the work as part of a sustainability push: the company says it wants to leave durable assets and train local workers who can maintain them. The project also gives XCMG on-the-ground experience in logistics, excavation, and community coordination — work that aligns with its business in heavy equipment and infrastructure.

Local voices: what people are saying

“This storage means we do not have to go far every day,” said a village leader near one of the new units. “Children go to school more often now because they are not collecting water in the morning.”

An XCMG project manager noted, “We aim to build units that are simple to use and easy to maintain. Training local teams was a core part of this phase.” A representative from a regional NGO praised the move but urged continued support for hygiene training and upkeep.

Keeping water flowing: durability and what comes next

Durability will depend on routine upkeep. The structures are low-tech and can last if communities keep covers intact, repair cracks early, and protect catchment areas from livestock and waste. XCMG says it has set up follow-up visits and local maintenance courses; longer-term success will need steady local funding for repairs and replacement parts.

Future work will likely focus on expanding the network to new villages, adding simple treatment or chlorination where needed, and linking some sites to small pumps or solar arrays to help with distribution. For now, the completed sixth phase is a visible step: a practical, low-cost way to make water more predictable for hundreds of communities that depend on it.

Sources

• prnewswire.com