Located near the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Goma maintains a permanent population of approximately 400,000 people. The close proximity of the city to the Rwandan border has led to a massive influx of refugees during the Rwandan civil wars. In addition to this, Goma is located within a highly active volcanic area. In 2002, a volcanic eruption destroyed over 40% of the city and associated infrastructure. In acknowledging such issues, Arup has entered a strategic partnership with MercyCorps with the intention of developing a reliable water supply and expanding the existing water distribution networks.

Arup was tasked with the review and design of two 700 cubic metre water reservoirs, a high-pressure water intake pipeline feeding the reservoirs and 15 kilometres of associated water distribution network. Of particular note were the novel methods of constructing and developing hand excavated trenches in hard volcanic rock required for the water distribution network. The scope of work required input from water engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering and civil engineering personnel. In order to lower the cost of construction and keep within the diminutive budget, Arup investigated locally sourced volcanic rock as an alternative construction material and revised the proposed construction timetable to better allocate available resources.

Of particular note were the novel methods of constructing and developing hand excavated trenches in hard volcanic rock required for the water distribution network.