Rotary Club of Glen Burnie, MDRotary Club of San Miguel El Chapparistique Engineers Without Borders – Washington DC

George Washington University – Public Health

Santa Clara, El Salvador - Water Distribution & Public Health Project

Community Location

Santa Clara, El Salvador

Santa Clara (pop. 3,165) is a rural community within the municipality of San Rafael Oriente (pop. 16,929), in the Eastern region of San Miguel

Local Organizations:– Associacion de Desarrollo Comunitario (ADESCO)– Asociacion Nacional para la Defensa, Desarrollo y Distribucion del Agua a Nivel Rural (ANDAR)– Peace Corps

Background & ObjectivesBackground:–The people of Santa Clara suffer many hardships, as the majority live in suboptimal conditions without adequate housing, education, or an improved water source and the community’s residents are burdened with a high incidence of water-related illness.

– Households contract local drilling companies to construct raw water wells. Most wells access the same shallow aquifer contaminated by community pit latrines. The contamination of wells has been confirmed through bacteriological testing of samples throughout the community that were positive for excessive levels of fecal coliform bacteria.

– High rate of morbidity associated with water-borne pathogens and related illnesses.

Desire: - Clean water for the Santa Clara community: Households 260 (Expandable to 400).

- Current expressed community preference for piped water delivery to each individual household.

- The community has already located a preferred; semi-remote well from which to extract the raw water for their system.

The project has a comprehensive approach to preventing illness by improving water supply and key hygiene behaviors, especially ensuring safe household drinking water and

food, proper personal and domestic hygiene, and effective use of sanitation.

Current Water Sources

45%

35%

17%

3%

Own Hand-Dug Wells

Neighbors Hand-Dug Well

Own Piped Water

Neighbor's Piped Water

Transport water with wagons

Use of horsepower to draw buckets from well

Water Collection - Today

Carry water in large containers

EWB Assessment & Implementation Trips for Santa Clara Project

Dates of Travel Assess/Imp Phase Description

8/19/06 - 8/24/06 Assessment Planning Data Collection and Health Assessment

6/1/06 - 8/31/06 Assessment Planning George Washington University graduate student data collection and public health assessment

3/22/07 – 3/26/07 Assessment Planning Data Verification and Community Engagement

1/6/08 – 1/13/09 Assess & Imp Planning Catholic University students surveying of site and building of grey water pit

3/1/09 – 3/8/09 Assess & Imp Building Catholic University students build the foundation for the water management office

4/2009 Assessment Public Health

Public Health Team trip

1/3/10-1/10/10 Implementation Planning and Building

Meet and Greet. Kick off Project. (Tank, Distribution, Pump, Power to Pump)

Implementation Trips & Technical Design

Water system components include:•Water Board Office •Water Pump & Storage Shed• Chlorination System• Control System• Storage Tank • Distribution Network• Household Connection• Grey Water Pits

Lodging

Well and Pump

Well Casing Diameter: 8”Design Point:95 gpm @ 425ft

Control System and VFD

Minimum Pressure: 1psiMaximum Pressure: 100 psi

Distribution System

Number of Homes: 260Gallons per home per day: 160Maximum Pipe Diameter: 6”Minimum Pipe Diameter: 2”Maximum Pressure: 80 psiMinimum Pressure: 20 psi

Chlorine Tablet Feeder

Desired ChlorineResidual: 0.5 – 0.8 mg/LTablet Feeder Design

Ground Storage Tank

Tank Storage: 100 m3 (25,000 Gallons) Tank Diameter: 6.8m (22’-4”)Tank Height: 3.9m (12’-10”)

Potable Water System Schematic

4” PVC Well Fill Line

Grade at well = 200m

Distribution System

Phase 1 of Dist. System (Tank to School)

Distribution (Cont.)

Water Board Office

Storage Tank Location

Storage Tank

Design

Soil Test

Storage Tank Excavation

Soil Profile

Well Site & Pump

Chlorine Tablet Feeder

Pump

Power for Pump

Meeting with Mayor• Mayor Sent Electrical Engineer to Town• Mayor Promised to Pay for Power to Pump• Changed from 3 Phase to 1 Phase • Added VFD to Pump

Pump to Tank Supply Line

Mock-up House Hookup

Mock-up Grey Water Pit

Community OwnershipThe planning, development and implementation of this initiative has

been community-driven, and the resultant water system and health promotion program will be community-owned and operated.

What kind of help is the community providing?• Unskilled labor for approximately 8300 m3 of trenching for an estimated contribution of $43,000 USD (1 m3/person/day, $5/day)• Free lodging for volunteers• Transportation• Equipment includes shovels, wheelbarrows, pickup trucks, etc.• The local water board has already collected of $6500 for land (central well and tank locations) and $6000 for individual household connections

SustainabilityANDAR provides ongoing community

trainings: • Operation & Maintenance • Administration, like transparent

bookkeeping, end of year income/expense reports & development of user fees

• General and state laws governing potable water systems

• Protection and conservation of the water source

• Empowerment-to encourage leadership as owners of the system

• Management of the Water Board (ADESCO), including participatory, democratic decision-making, roles of leadership

Public Health

Before

Public HealthSolid Waste

After

Public HealthSolid Waste

Health Promotion/Education Program

• Health Educators• Complement ongoing

health education & promotion efforts

• Enhance local capacities for sustainable program

• Enhance health impact of water system

Health Promoters• Household visits

• School hygiene

• Materials Assistance

• Role models/leaders

• Community mobilization (dengue, & trash clean-up)

• Upcoming: Water Management Education

Study Results: Exposure to Program

Visit Activity Info HP Treat water

Safe food

Trash0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

19

33.8

11.1

2.8 2.8

76.2

89.2

47.2

66.763.9

Pre

Post

%

Study Results: Knowledge Gained

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

27.4

12.3

75.3

45.5

2.6

58.9

50.7

92.2

79.2

22.1

Pre

Post

%

Study Results: Adopted Practices

Sweep floor

Clean seat Clean lid Handwash food

Wash food Give more drink

ORS0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

35.1

3.97.8

32.5

15.6

9.813.7

62.3

23.4

39

61

66.2

31.4

62.7Pre

Post

%

Still some work to be done…

• Water quality/quantity• Water storage/handling• Grey water disposal• Child hygiene/care• Open defecation of children• Trash disposal• Proximity of domesticated

animals to homes

Your New Water System

Handbook for households to understand:

• How the water system works• Do’s and don’ts of system use• How to use/store it properly• How to conserve the resource• How to prevent standing water

(Dengue)• How to understand their

bill/quantity used

Thank you!