Let there be water…

One of the NGOs that Kristi and I have been working with recently is called Water for People (WFP) and is the international development “arm” of the American Water Works Association (AWWA).  We are assisting WFP on a project in the community of Tulito, Chinda, which is about 30 minutes by mototaxi from Trinidad (Two of those minutes are spent crossing a terrifying, temporary bridge constructed in the ‘80s after a major hurricane… not so temporary, huh?).

Bridge over troubled waters

 

Watch your step, or in many cases, the tire on your 3/4-ton pickup truck

Tulito currently shares a water source and storage tank with another, larger community.  The other community, who technically owns the tank, has decided to change water sources but wants to keep their tank.  This has forced Tulito into pursuing a new tank and the necessary new water infrastructure to connect a new tank to their existing distribution system.  Fortunately, Tulito will retain the right to the current water source and much of the existing water infrastructure (intake dam, conduction line and various valves) that connects the source to the old tank.  This will reduce project costs significantly.

WFP contacted me to help Tulito with a study, design, and budget related to the project.  In addition, I am providing designs and budgets for various improvements to their existing distribution system.  I will discuss these improvements later in this post.  WFP will take a report that includes the designs and budgets to various funding sources with the hopes of raising the capital necessary to keep the water flowing to the people of Tulito.

On our first visit to Tulito, Kristi and I came only with a GPS and a camera.  We completed a preliminary feasibility study that entailed hiking from the source down to the tank and along the entire existing water infrastructure taking GPS points and photos as we went.  For the most part, the conduction line from the intake dam to the point where we will branch off with a new line to a new tank was in good condition.  I only noted a few upgrades and fixes that should be made to improve the efficiency of the system to that point (sediment cleanout valves, air release valves, replacing PVC with iron pipe where necessary).  A flow study, to be used in the design phase, was done at an existing “rompecarga” or a pressure breaker.  This is a concrete box where the conduction line is exposed to atmospheric pressure so that the pressure in the pipe does not become so great that it could bust the pipes.

Intake dam and various water board members

Rompecarga

At the suggestion of the president of the community water board, we also noted various improvements that may be made to the existing distribution system.  For one group of houses, the water service can be very patchy, especially in the dry season.  We are considering various fixes including upgrading to a one-inch pipe from a half-inch pipe and/or creating a looped-system, if possible.  The new tank site’s increase in elevation in comparison to the existing tank may resolve this issue without any upgrades.  In another part of the system, there has been a high frequency of leaks, largely due to the system’s age (~25 years).  In this area, I will likely suggest replacing the old line and possibly upgrading a portion of this line to one-inch from half-inch pipe.

Although much can be learned and designed using only GPS data, more precise survey data is required for most of the new design.  We returned to Tulito on two further occasions to complete the topographic survey.  With Kristi recording the data, myself on the theodolite, and the Tulito water board clearing the way, the survey went very smoothly and only lasted two days (I had initially estimated three).  We recorded more precise survey data for the new portion of the conduction line, the tank, the new waterline to connect the tank to the existing system, and along the various areas mentioned before as needing upgrades.

The water board was extremely helpful in guiding us along the way and also very knowledgeable about their system and what should probably be done to improve it.  Meals while we were in Tulito were provided by a community mother.  Each meal was expectedly delicious and surprisingly nutritious.  She explained to us that she and other community women have worked with, on numerous occasions, various NGOs about growing a variety of nutritious vegetables and on how to prepare balanced meals.  We were very grateful to be treated to a variety of campo-grown veggies.

Note: Kristi wowed the men in the community with her mad hiking skills proving a sometimes unknown fact here that women can do this stuff too.  I fell in the creek and soaked my socks proving also that Kristi has more hiking skills than me.  I also tripped over barbwire and performed a full spin, flat-on-back fall at one point.  We both, however, fall short on our ability to avoid chiggers suffering dozens of bites from our feet to our torsos…

We have some other pictures to share and will try to upload them another day when the internet is being more cooperative!