The Light of Hope University in Ouagadougou, Burkina

Faso
Engineering Ministries International Project 5488

Light of Hope University

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

The Vision The Seal
Background and Village of Hope Light of Hope University
In 2001 The Village of Hope was founded on the legacy of one College education is not readily available to people in Burkina Faso.
adopted child, Sarah. Pastor Michel Ouedraogo had been evangeliz- Christian colleges and universities are rarely found anywhere across
ing in Burkina Faso among local villages for several years, but he had all of West Africa. According to the Association of African Universities,
been continually ejected from one area based on his spiritual message there are only 213 universities in the entire African continent, and very
of Jesus Christ. Pastor Michel and his wife Lydia adopted Sarah from few of these teach Christian principles. Burkina Faso and Africa are in
one of the villages. Raised in the Ouedraogo household, Sarah grew up need of a university that is able to teach a meaningful curriculum part-
to study and become a nurse. Once Sarah graduated nursing school, nered with the Word of God.
she went home to her original village to help those that had refused
to listen to Pastor Michel. Through Sarah’s care, local villagers began
entrusting Pastor Michel with more and more children. Today, Pastor
Michel cares for over 400 children, providing food, shelter, and an edu-
cation at their boarding school – The Village of Hope. Just as Sarah did,
these children return to their villages several times each year to share
the word of God.

Purpose
Light of Hope University has its name expressed in its logo. The symbol
of the university is actually two symbols combined: one of a lighthouse
shining out to the world and one of a road leading to that lighthouse.
The lighthouse is representative of Christ shining as a light
to the world. A Christian university among a predominantly
uneducated and Muslim region of Africa will indeed serve
as a light in the darkness.

The road is representative of a way of getting to that Light.

The university hopes to be a road leading students to the
life of Jesus Christ.
The logo designed by the Light of Hope represents everything the Uni-
versity hopes to accomplish. The Light of Hope University hopes to
lead people to a life in Christ by providing an education in an area of the
world where it is not available. They also hope graduates from the Light
of Hope University will be able to reflect the same light they have seen
to the people they encounter everyday in their communities.

Boarding school children at The Village of Hope

Light of Hope University 1

Light of Hope University
Western African Education
Islam first moved into Western Africa around 700 AD, and continues to
be the national religion of many North, Western, and Sub-Saharan Afri-
can countries. In recent years, Christianity has made an impact in these
regions of Africa, but Christians are still a small percentage of the popu-
lation. Because of the large Islamic population, most of the universities
that are constructed serve Muslims. Burkina Faso is a centrally located
West African country that is able to serve a wide variety of students.

Light of Hope University plans to provide a quality Christian educa-

tion to students throughout the continent of Africa. Initially planning to
offer a wide variety of curriculums including business administration,
finance, marketing, project and human resource management and in-
surance, the Light of Hope University is also planning later programs
to include theology, medicine, law, and arts and letters. The vision is to
provide an education and accredited degrees to students so that they
may provide a Christian influence in the African workplace.
Lecture hall at the university in Ouagadougou

The level of education will be competi-

tive with any other program throughout
all of Africa by implementing the best
teaching methods available and pro-
viding facilities conducive to learning.
The campus will also provide various
forms of entertainment and enrichment
venues for both the students and the
city of Ouagadougou. A state-of-the-art
amphitheater and sports complex will
host these events. Students accepted
to the university will be required to pay
an enrollment fee, but scholarship op-
portunities will also be available.
Students waiting for class at the only university in Ouagadougou

Light of Hope University 2

The Site
The current site is located adjacent to the existing Village of Hope prop-
erty. This page shows a picture of the existing site and a proposed site
layout. In order to accommodate a 30,000 student master plan the
ministry will need to purchase additional land that is suitable for cam-
pus development. The proposed site is bordered to the east by a ravine
that overlooks a valley that will provide a beautiful view for students
and faculty. The roadway to the north of the site is a major commerce
road in Burkina Faso and will provide easy access to the campus for all
students and future events.

Master Plan Rationale

Development will progress in phases with construction of the first phase
to be completed near the existing property and expanding south and
east as the university grows. The ravine to the right of the central road
provides a beautiful vista, however, the topography prevents any de-
velopment except small scale residential growth in certain areas. Since
the first EMI team visited the site in March 2009, the government com-
mitted to a new property boundary in April 2009 which is expected to
allow enough land for this proposed master plan but future EMI teams
will need to modify the proposed site master plan and/or modify the
new site boundaries.

The African University

Light of Hope University 3

 The chart below shows the planned enrollment and staffing in each
The Concept phase.
In developing the campus master plan, the EMI design team was asked Students - Staff Phase I Phase II Phase III Final Phase
to focus on the following design priorities: Students 500 1,500 9,000 30,000
• Natural ventilation and natural lighting
On Site (80%) 400 1,200 7,200 24,000
• Ultimate total capacity of 30,000 students
Off Site (20%) 100 300 1,800 6,000
• 80% of students expected to live in on-campus dormitories
• 5 to 10 different degree programs Lecturers 9 27 100 290
• Dormitories and classroom buildings are the first priority Staff 5 15 80 240
Guest (max) 4 12 20 50
The design of a dormitory, classroom building, kitchen and dining hall, Personnel (Admin) 10 16 31 66
and outdoor space became the basic components of Phase I that can Personnel (FTE) 10 20 40 80
be easily repeated or modified in later phases.

Phase I will build: In the final build-out, the campus will

• 2 dormitories total:
• 1 dining hall • 120 dormitories,
• 1 classroom building • 20 dining halls,
• 2 homes for guest lecturers • 40 classroom buildings,
• 25 guest lecturer homes,
Phase II will build: • 1 administration building,
• 4 more dormitories • 2 libraries with student unions
• 1 classroom building • 2 maintenance buildings
• 4 additional guest lecturer homes • 3 recreation centers
• 1 auditorium.
Phase III will build:
• 30 dormitories
• 5 dining halls
• 10 classroom buildings
• 6 guest lecturer homes
• 1 administration and security building
• 1 library with a student union
• 1 maintenance building
• 1 recreation center
• 1 auditorium

See Appendix 1.1 for a list of program spaces along with their respec-
tive square meters.

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Campus Layout

Aerial view of campus looking north Individual dormitory building

Campus view of dormitories

New dormitory

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Dormitory Design
The dormitory design is based on the goal of providing adequate light-
ing and ventilation while maintaining lower energy costs.

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Classroom Building Design
The classroom design is based on the goal of providing adequate
lighting and ventilation while maintaining lower energy costs.

Campus view of classrooms and dormitories

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The Design: Initial Phase and Final Build-Out

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Domestic Water
In order to serve the expected population of the Light of Hope Univer-
sity, domestic water use must be considered. This includes drinking
water as well as water used daily for sanitation and basic needs. The
current water supply wells and distribution lines are not adequate to
serve the University.
Current Conditions
During the site visit the EMI team was able to gather preliminary data
on the existing domestic water situation at the Village of Hope site. It
was found that the current water supply is adequate for present use
conditions. Additionally, the ministry has conducted previous water
tests and has reported that the water is more than acceptable for hu-
man consumption. The existing aquifer must be tested or its production
monitored to ensure it can keep up with the pumping requirements and
still support the Village of Hope.
In addition to the supply wells, water storage is an important component
of a distribution system. The storage tanks’ main intent is to provide
at least one day’s worth of water demand. However, an advantage to
more storage is a larger amount of water available for fire suppression
and other emergencies. Additionally, more up front storage allows for
future development to occur without the necessity of many new wells.
Based upon the ministry-recommended demand of 420 liters per capita
per day (LPCPD) in order to have one day of storage, there need to
be tanks totaling to 500 m3. This equates to four storage tanks sized
5m X 5m X 5m, one atop each dormitory laundry room and washroom.
Similar storage tanks should be built concurrent with the construction of
each future dormitory to provide necessary capacity. More information
about water storage is in Appendix 3.1.

Proposed Recommendations
EMI recommends using additional ground wells as a water supply for
the university. These wells would need to be drilled at least 30 meters
away, and preferably uphill, from any washroom or washing facility to
minimize the possibility of contamination. While the community and
university board must agree on a desired level of service, EMI recom-
mends the following conservative components as a basis for discus-
sion for the University’s water distribution system. EMI recommends
that the University constructs one well for the first two phases. This well
must be capable of providing flows to serve the 1,200 planned students
through Phase II. The university can then build additional wells on an
as-needed basis and conduct thorough tests during normal operation.
This will allow the wells to be used immediately and still give an accu-
rate, ongoing analysis of the aquifer’s performance. See Appendix 2.1
for two options for aquifer testing.

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Wastewater Disposal
Traditional wastewater disposal techniques currently used at the Village
of Hope consist of traditional septic tanks and seepage pits. However,
the Light of Hope University will require much more intense develop-
ment.
Current Conditions
Based on the excessive amount of rock present and unsatisfactory in-
filtration rates, the design and use of traditional septic / drain field sys-
tems will be severely restricted and are not recommended. However,
EMI recommends further examination of the newly obtained land.
Possible Solution
During the EMI team’s visit, Biological Filtration Plants were mentioned
as a possible solution. These treatment plants often times consist of
sedimentation tanks, biological filters, and secondary sedimentation
tanks with sludge digesters. Disadvantages of these plants are: the ex-
pensive cost to build and maintain them; they require trained operators;
they require a high amount of energy; generally they have been found
to lead to sludge disposal problems in warm developing countries; and
the effluent reuse is not as feasible as wastewater stabilization ponds.
However, advantages of the biological filtration plants are: they’re easy
to design; they take up much less land than wastewater stabilization
ponds; and they can be placed close to other development.
Proposed Recommendations
EMI recommends wastewater stabilization ponds used in conjunction
with septic tanks to dispose of sanitary sewer waste. Waste stabilization
ponds do not have the disadvantages of other options but do require
much greater land. A typical Waste Stabilization Pond could take 20
times the amount of land of a Biological Filtration Plant. However, efflu-
ent from the ponds is used in many places for both edible and inedible
crop irrigation. Water reuse in this system increases both downstream
water quality and crop production. See Appendix 4 for more informa-
tion.
Light of Hope University
Storm Water Management
Planning and designing for stormwater management in Burkina Faso,
as in most West African countries, must account for a dry season and
a rainy season. These two seasons bring about unique design stipula-
tions. The design needs to account for the rainfall amounts in the rainy
season without hindering operations in the dry season.
Current Conditions
The current site conditions are a volcanic rock surface with veins of
porous soil intermingled. The ground is covered with dense vegetation,
but the root base is very shallow so it isn’t expected to slow the water
as it runs over the site. The slope of the land is very low, and water
isn’t expected to run across the entire site. While inspecting the site,
it appeared that in some areas water would sit on the surface and not
infiltrate the ground water table. With these site conditions being con-
sidered and the level of rainfall being accounted for, it is clear that some
sort of water management will be needed in order to prevent problems
in development of the university.
Proposed Recommendations
Taking into account the rainfall and site conditions a channel is proposed
to front all major roadways. The channel will resemble the systems that
are already in place throughout the city of Ouagadougou. The channels
will be covered with a pre-formed concrete slab cover that will provide
small openings to allow for the water to enter, yet still keeping trash out.
The slab top will also serve as a sidewalk for pedestrians around cam-
pus. Water will get into the channels from areas around campus using
site grading and other conduits to prevent the need for unwarranted
infrastructure. The water will be directed towards the ravine where the
water currently runs. Before releasing into the ravine, the water should
be retained through a reclaiming pit filled with water. The purpose of
this pit is to slow the flow of the water down, and recharge the aquifer
with water that it depends on.
10
Electrical Power
Existing Conditions
There is currently no municipal power to this region. The Village of Hope
operates its own generator to provide for its power needs. However,
while the EMI design team was on location, construction was underway
to bring municipal power to the surrounding areas.
Proposed Recommendations
It is expected that this new municipal power extension will provide for
the needs of the new campus. Future engineering teams will need to
address the total power needs and appropriate distribution strategies.
Light of Hope University
Conclusion
Education is critical in teaching generations of people to advance civi-
lization. The inaccessibility of education in the 21st century is an issue
needing a remedy. In Burkina Faso, the need for a Christian educa-
tion is clear. Christian students are either being refused acceptance or
harassed when applying for and attending college. The Light of Hope
University is not a plan to isolate Christians as a way to prevent perse-
cution in Africa. It is a plan to provide an opportunity for the Gospel to
be heard and embraced alongside a winning education that prepares
students for the future and equips them to be a positive influence in
their communities.
Today, Pastor Michel and his wife along with over 400 children
live at the Village of Hope adjacent to the proposed campus.
Note: This report and the drawings within are the current vision for the Light of Hope
University project. They represent final schematic design documents rather than con-
struction documents. As such, design professionals must be consulted to continue the
design, modify it as necessary, and create a comprehensive set of drawings that can
be used for construction.
11
Appendix 1 Appendix 2
Program of Spaces 1.1 Aquifer Testing 2.1
There are two options for aquifer testing: the first option is to conduct
Building - Space Phase I Phase II Phase III Final
Phase a standard draw down test with a test well. This would be done prior to
actually using the wells, and it would require the continuous operation
Dormitory 2,300* 6,900 41,400 138,000
1150 sqm each (2)** (6) (36) (120)
of a pump for a minimum of 30 days at high flow rates while recording
aquifer draw down levels. Operating the pump for so long and having
Dining Hall & Kitchen 576 576 3,456 11,520
limited water storage capacity would not only waste potable water, but
(1) (1) (6) (20)
would also incur high costs due to electricity or fuel for the pump, so
Classroom Bldg & 1,368 2,736 16,416 54,720 that option is not recommended.
Lecture Halls (1) (2) (12) (40)
Duplexes - 70sqm guest 140 420 700 1,750 The second method of testing the aquifer is a monitoring approach.
lecturers (2) (6) (10) (25)
This would allow for the use of the well for drinking water immediately.
Gathering Space 600 600 3,600 12,000 The well would be monitored and aquifer levels recorded, but it need
Outdoor & Covered (1) (1) (6) (20) not be operating continuously. Instead, the recorded information would
Basketball Courts (1) (1) (6) (20) pertain to actual daily usage. Each additional well that was constructed
Administration / 1,000 1,000 would implement this monitoring technique to keep a tab on the existing
Security aquifer. It is important that good records of the aquifer performance are
Library w/ Student Union 3,000 6,000 kept in order to maintain its sustainability.
(1) (2)
Maintenance Bldg 500 1,000
Recreation Complex 2,400 7,200
multi-purpose outdoor (1) (3)
Auditorium - 4,000 cap 3,900 3,900
Part 1 and 2 - TOTAL 4,984 11,232 66,127 216,495

*All buildings listed in sq. meters

**All building quantities shown as (X)

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Appendix 3
Water Storage 3.1
There are several options available for water storage. The university
can use two elevated tanks per dormitory area – one above the wash-
rooms and one above the laundry facility. With this method, new tanks
would be built with each additional dormitory.
A second option would be to construct one large elevated tank to sup-
ply each dormitory complex. This would incur high costs due to con-
struction, operation, and maintenance.
of policies and water and wastewater usage rates. These fees would
help to alleviate capital costs associated with initial construction, as
well as annual operation and maintenance costs. Regarding the cost
of this project, the dense rock that must be drilled and excavated for
the wells and piping will be need to be considered, and may drive up
construction costs. Otherwise, the costs should be similar to other simi-
lar projects in the area with regards to mobilization of equipment and
securing materials.
1
Lifewater Technical Note No. RWS. 1.P.1, pg. 4.

A third option is to use a combination of large and small elevated tanks.

This would allow the smaller tanks to offset some of the necessary
storage in the large tank. However, the large tank would still incur high
capital costs.

Before deciding exact storage tank sizes or how many wells to drill,
there must be a consensus on the desired level of service. Water us-
age sources for developing areas recommend designing for 150 liters
per capita per day (LPCPD)1. This would generally allow for basic water
use, including bathing, cooking, and lavatory requirements. However,
sources at the Village of Hope recommend 420 LPCPD, which is based
on experience of average university students’ water usage. The design
water usage would dramatically affect the required number of wells,
and in turn, the storage requirements, and even piping sizes. For in-
stance, at 150 LPCPD, a system storage capacity of 4,500 m3 would
be required to supply one day of water for 30,000 without the pumps
running; however, at 420 LPCPD, 12,600 m3 for water storage is neces-
sary.

The above recommendations simply provide a framework for the drink-

ing water infrastructure requirements for the new university. A more
thorough analysis must be completed to decide on specific piping sizes
and materials, as well as pumps and construction methods for the wells.
Alongside these decisions, it is common for a utility service of this size
to elect a board of officials to oversee the selection and implementation

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Appendix 4
Wastewater Stabilization Pond 4.1
It was hoped that septic tank / drain field systems could be utilized to
dispose of the wastewater. At the time of the site visit, only approxi-
mately 10% of the required area for this project had been located. Vi-
sually, it was estimated that approximately 80% of the project’s area
had exposed volcanic rock. Several areas not covered by rock were
evaluated for their infiltration potential. Two out of three of the tests
resulted in no infiltration or infiltration rates of faster than 5 minutes per
inch. Because of this, traditional septic tanks and drain field systems
are unsuitable and not recommended.

Although stabilization ponds require much more land, in some coun-

tries, land owners gladly provide land to situate these stabilization
ponds, due to the increased crop production by using the effluent for
irrigation. Additionally, due to the presence of fractured rock, a pond
lining will most likely be required if a wastewater stabilization pond is
constructed.

Discussions should be held between an engineer familiar with such de-

sign techniques and the university’s Board. The Board should be edu-
cated on the various options of wastewater disposal, associated instal-
lation, maintenance, and administrative requirements of each system.
Additionally, the following information will be vital to the exact design of
waste stabilization ponds. Some typical questions to consider are:
• Are there any cultural objections to waste stabilization ponds and
water reuse?
• Can adequate land be provided at least 500 km from dwellings?
• Does the land have adequately slow infiltration rates?
• Can adequately slow infiltration soil be imported to the site?
• Water usage rates could vary significantly. What should initial
designs be based on? Typical water uses vary from 150 liters
per day to 420 liters per day.

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Wastewater Stabilization Pond 4.2
Waste Stabilization Pond Design

Project: Light of Hope University, Burkina Faso

Design:
Rev Date: 27 July 2009

I. Design Assumptions and Requirements

Case 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Enrollment capita 500 1500 7500 22500 500 1500 7500 22500
Per captia wastewater contribution lcd 80 80 80 80 336 336 336 336
Per capita BOD 5/ contribution gcd 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
Total infiltration to sewers estimated at m^3 / day 5 15 75 225 5 15 75 225
Influent bacterial concentration assumed FC / 100 ml 5.00E+07 5.00E+07 5.00E+07 5.00E+07 5.00E+07 5.00E+07 5.00E+07 5.00E+07
Mean minimum month temperature. °C 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16
Effluent Standard required for unrestricted irrigation mg / l 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25
Effluent Standard required for unrestricted irrigation FC / 100 ml 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

II. Design Calculations

Sewage flow m^3 / day 40 120 600 1800 168 504 2520 7560
Sewage flow plus infiltration m^3 / day 45 135 675 2025 173 519 2595 7785
Total Organic Load kg 20 60 300 900 20 60 300 900
Influent BOD 5/ Concentration mg / l 444 444 444 444 116 116 116 116

III. Anaerobic Ponds

Anaerobic volumetric loading. kg BOD 5//m^3/d 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.167
Volume of Ponds m^3 120 359 1796 5389 120 359 1796 5389
Check of detetion time based on loading rate and flow days 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7
Increase to 2 if several month's temps are below 20C days 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7
Revised volume of ponds m^3 121.5 364.5 1822.5 5467.5 467.1 1401.3 7006.5 21019.5
Assumed number of ponds to split volume into. # of ponds 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Assumed operational depth m 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Assumed width m 3 5 11 18 5 9 21 36
Assumed length m 6 10 21 37 11 19 42 72
Assumed operational depth ft 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13
Assumed width ft 9 16 35 61 18 31 69 119
Assumed length ft 18 31 70 121 35 61 137 238
Reserve Ponds # of ponds 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Total Pond Area m^2 46 137 683 2050 175 525 2627 7882
Total Pond Area acres 0.011 0.034 0.169 0.507 0.043 0.130 0.649 1.948

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Wastewater Stabilization Pond 4.2
IV. Facultative Ponds

kg BOD 5/ha/day 260 260 260 260 260 260 260 260
Removal rate of anaerobic pond. 54% 54% 54% 54% 54% 54% 54% 54%
Influent BOD 5 to facultative pond. mg/l 207 207 207 207 54 54 54 54
Pond area m^2 358 1,073 5,365 16,096 358 1,073 5,365 16,096
Assumed depth m 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75
Assumed volume m^3 626 1,878 9,389 28,168 626 1,878 9,389 28,168
Detention time of facultative pond days 13.9 13.9 13.9 13.9 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6
Pond area acres 0.1 0.3 1.3 4.0 0.1 0.3 1.3 4.0
Probable BOD 5/ removal of Facultative Pond 78% 78% 78% 78% 78% 78% 78% 78%
Cumulative removal 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91%

V. Maturation Ponds

FC removal rate day^(-1) 1.29653875 1.29653875 1.29653875 1.29653875 1.29653875 1.29653875 1.29653875 1.29653875
Assumed number of ponds in series # of ponds 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Assumed detention time days 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Bacterial concentration of effluent FC / 100 ml 1393 1393 1393 1393 4659 4659 4659 4659
Probable cumulative percentage removal an+fac+ 3*mat 95% 95% 95% 95% 95% 95% 95% 95%
Effluent BOD 5/ mg / l 22 22 22 22 6 6 6 6
Maturation Pond Volume (Each) m^3 225 675 3375 10125 865 2595 12975 38925
Assumed depth m 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
Maturation Pond Area (Each) m^2 150 450 2250 6750 576.666667 1730 8650 25950
Assumed depth ft 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9
Maturation Pond Area (Each) acres 0.0 0.1 0.6 1.7 0.1 0.4 2.1 6.4

VI. Conversion Factors

1 m^3 = 1000 l
1 m= 3.2808399 ft
1 m^2 = 0.0002471 acres

Total of all three pond areas acres 0.21084302 0.63252905 3.16264526 9.48793578 0.55916138 1.67748414 8.38742069

References:
1. Basis of Design
2. 100 liters/capita/day, with 80% making it to sewage. World Bank, WTP7: Notes on the Design and Operation of Waste Stabilization Ponds in Warm Climates of Developing Countries.
(Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 1983), 8
3. BBC Weather, BBC – Weather Center – World Weather – Average Conditions - Ouagadougou, available from http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT000760;
Internet, accessed 27, July 2009
4. World Bank, WTP7: Notes on the Design and Operation of Waste Stabilization Ponds in Warm Climates of Developing Countries. (Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 1983), 10.
5. Ibid, 18.
6. Ibid, 19.
7. Ibid, 23.
8. Ibid, 20 - 21.

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Wastewater Stabilization Pond Conceptual Drawing 4.3



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Wastewater Stabilization Pond Conceptual Drawing 4.4



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