Hi Angus,
Thanks for your patience. Building the structure exactly where the villagers currently collect water is optional. One of the purposes of the video we showed in the Interactives is for students to glimpse the villagers’ lifestyle. The approximate average slope/gradient is 25-35 degrees, considered steep by the villagers and EWB staff who went there.
You’re right; the requirement is to access the water from the Ou Te river, as it is the current water source for the villagers for different uses. Depending on your chosen design parameters, it may be close to the riverbank, along the riverbank or wholly offset.
Regards,
Jean