Prepared By:
The North Carolina Section Committee of Water for People has teamed with ARHC to develop safe drinking water supply projects for the people within the ARHC service areas. Water for People is a voluntary organization of American water and health professionals dedicated to helping developing countries establish safe drinking water supplies. The North Carolina Section Committee of Water for People was established approximately two years ago and began searching for appropriate projects. The committee was immediately attracted to the ARHC organization for several reasons. ARHC’s goals and criteria or project selection closely parallel those the Water for People committee had established for themselves. ARHC insists a project be sustainable, protect human dignity, and be conducted within the local community within the community organization. ARHC was also attractive because it had a long-established and respected local framework to support the water projects. Lastly, ARHC had a demonstrated need in their service areas to establish safe water supplies. ARHC has an excellent record with promoting health care measures and education but was in need of technological and financial assistance to develop water supply projects. It is well established that waterborne diseases are the most devastation to developing rural population’s worldwide. Without an established safe drinking water supply, health care and education can prevent and treat only a portion of these diseases. Water for People is committed to assisting the people in the ARHC service areas in developing safe water supplies. The North Carolina Section Committee of Water for People began their serious study of the water supply conditions in the ARHC service areas with a fact-finding trip in May, 1993; Jim Ferrell (the chair of the committee at the time) was accompanied by Fred Hauchman and Don Knibb. These three were chosen from the overall committee roster of over 40 water professionals for their broad base of expertise in water supply engineering and health. As guest of ARHC, they were introduced to the local culture and residents and toured the water resources of three main ARHC service areas. The representatives were impressed by ARHC’s successful education efforts; the people of the service area were well aware of the health effects of untreated water and unsanitary sewage disposal. Mr. Farrell, retired assistant director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department, summarizes the Bolivian’s main struggle as the competing interests of the of the need for irrigation water and the need for drinking water. Upon their return to the U.S., the group prepared a report on their findings and presented them to the overall committee. From this report the committee has worked to develop a priority listing for each of the three main ARHC service areas for potential water supply projects. In the Altiplano, the committee intends to first work with the villages of Quiescapa, Chinchaya and Challapata. In the Cochabamba service area the group plans to first work with Viloma, Chaupisuyo and Sipe-Sipe. In the Montero service area (Villa Cochabamba) the committee will help with technical assistance in the establishment of a properly extended water distribution system, including the provision of a chlorine disinfection system. The development of a long-term solution to sewage disposal by the local government in the Montero area will be very important to the success of any water supply project. The North Carolina Section Committee of Water for People is presently working on two specific project areas with ARHC and expects to expand to several additional areas within the next year. The two project areas presently being developed are in Viloma and in Villa Cochabamba (Montero). These projects were prioritized based upon a number of factors, including: the likelihood of success; expected costs and funding availability; time to complete; and the amount of work already completed by the local people. This last factor was especially important in the selection of the Viloma project. The fact-finding group was impressed by the amount of labor and determination the Viloma villagers had put into establishing their project. The villagers have already
established and developed a water supply source by The Water for People committee is compelled by a feeling of urgency to complete all projects identified and is working to produce results. This urgency, though, is tempered by our desire to "do it right." An unfortunate mistake of many failed water supply projects has been haste without adequate study. The committee holds paramount that the goal of sustainability be met for any project (i.e., the project must be a long-lasting solution to the problem). With this goal in mind, the committee is working diligently but carefully to ensure that the projects established through this program are well thought out and will serve the people for many generations to come. |
hand excavating through rock in the bottom of a large dry river
bed and running a pipeline part way to the village center – again through hand
excavation in rocky terrain. The committee felt that if the villagers were able to
complete so much without any outside technical or financial assistance, with a little of
both from Water for People they could easily complete the project.