MAI instala Dos Purificadoras mas como parte del PASS-Colón. Una en La Venta, Fco. Morazan

MAI instaló en Octubre: 
Dos Purificadoras en Colón y Una en Francisco Morazán

Como parte del PASS-Colón, se instalaron dos purificadoras mas en Octubre: Una en la Comunidad de La Bolsa y otra en la Comunidad de Guapinol, ambas en el Municipio de Tocoa.

También se instaló una Purificadora en el Municipio de La Venta, Francisco Morazán.

Guapinol is a village from Tocoa in the Department of Colon, Honduras. There are more than 600 houses with public services such as electricity, water piped system, transportation, school, and also has different churches and different commissions on the community.  

On October 21^st, 2011, a LWTS installed in the village of Guapinol. It’s been almost 3 years since this community declined the project on 2008, but on July 7^th 2011, Miguel Flores (WMI engineer) and Fredy Bonilla (WMI technician), had a meeting to socialize the Living Water Treatment System. In this meeting the population accepted the project with the presence of the community and its leaders.

 WMI engineer Miguel Flores explained the LWTS project (below), people of the community of Guapinol during the meeting (above)

 

Before installation:

Subsequently to that acceptance, the community agreed to the project with the conditions of complying with a sustainable fee, building the LWTS enclosure, form a Safe Water and Sanitation Commission (SWSC) with the different leaders of the community, etc. We scheduled the installation for October. The community finished the LWTS enclosure and we started to prepare the LWTS at WMI warehouse. The big day arrived and WMI support staff started to mount the LWTS on the vehicle afterward, we left to Guapinol to install the long awaited project at this community.

Transporting the LWTS on the WMI vehicle (above) and the serial number plate of the System (below).

 

During Installation:

When the system arrives to Guapinol, people from the Safe Water Commission (SWC) are ready to unload the LWTS and start the installation. The people worked hard and with much enthusiasm because the project was a reality. The Pastor of the Congregational Church, Juan Romero (SWC coordinator), took the responsibility of operating the LWTS. He helped install the system with WMI staff and people from the community.

WMI technicians and people from the community helping unload the LWTS and then start installing the LWTS,

helping to introduce the cage with mixer tank, filters and chlorinator. Jeremias del Cid puts teflon in the tank’s outlet

During opening:

When the installation was finished, people started to arrive to the LWTS enclosure. The rain wasn’t an obstacle for the people who were present during the opening. During the opening different associations were present such as the Safe Water Commission members, Teachers, Local Board, Water Commission, and people of different age. Pastor Juan Romero gave a short message about living water and then prays to God. The SWC president gave some words to thanks for the new LWTS and Erlin Enriquez explained to the community the importance of drinking and using Safe Water every day. When the ceremony finished the people started to fill the bottles and containers with Safe water from the LWTS.
 

During the opening there was some raining but it wasn’t an obstacle for the people that arrived to the opening

Full Preview of Photos During this Installation:

LWTS installed in Community of La Bolsa 
(Tocoa, Colon – HN)

On October 5^th, 2011 a Living Water Treatment System (LWTS) was installed in the community of La Bolsa, Municipality of Tocoa, with WMI staff and Safe Water Commission members and neighbors of the community. La Bolsa is located 14 km East from Tocoa, with coordinates 15º 36’ 10.65”N, 86º 06’ 23.18”W. The community has public service such as: Electricity, transportation, middle and high schools, cable tv, etc. This community has a population of 500 people, 300 are children and 200 are adults. The community formed a Safe Water Commission (SWC) with the leaders of the community as follows: 

1- Coordinator, Lucian Amaya (Pastor of “Voz de Aclamacion” Church), 
2- President, Jesus Amador (CODEL), 
3- Vice-president, Maria Cristina Ordonez (Patronato), 
4- Secretary, Diana Baquedano (Teachers Association), etc. 

The Patronato president, Ramon Diaz donated the land where the LWTS enclosure is located, and supporter of the Safe Water project.  

The community doesn’t have a good water source to obtain water for the LWTS. This is because the piped system is not constant, sometimes there is water and other times there isn’t. With this problem the community took the decision of drilling a well, with the support of WMI. The organization 'Heart for Honduras', with the help from our Lord, drilled a 31 feet deep well with a Ø= 4” casing, and 18 feet deep, with around 13 feet water found on the well. Years ago different attempts were made to drill a well in the school from this community but they never had any success, until now.

With the well and the community ready to install, we prepared the LWTS in the warehouse. We prepared a LWTS with serial 20104, with a submersible Myers predator ST pump, and a water meter (serial 78990405, with current reading of 31,867ft³). The community  neighbors helped unload the LWTS and with the installation too. Also we trained the operator Carmen Perez during the installation. 

During the installation Fredy Bonilla (MWI technician), installed the LWTS jointly with the people of the community. While the community installed the LWTS with Fredy Bonilla, Erlin Henriquez (WMI technician) and Nelson Rodriguez (WMI engineer) were installing the submersible pump with Luciano Amaya amongst others. The pump was ready at 2:30 pm and the LWTS was ready at 3:00pm.

When the submersible pump and the LWTS were ready, we started to treat water. The operator who can now use the system started the process of treating water. The tanks were filled and the people were waiting for the opening. Pastor Luciano Amaya starts the opening with a message about Living Water and then prays for the installed project. The SWC president spoke about the benefits of the project in the community and Fredy Bonilla explained the process to get a healthy latrine project for the community too, and finally Nelson Rodriguez explained the different components about the project, and what the project scope is.

The people drink the water, children and adults were happy with the LWTS because they had purified water everyday.     

Some photos about this installation can be browsed in this location:

 

    

LWTS instalado en Rancho Santa Fe,  - La Venta, Francisco Morazán – HN

Comunidad:                              Rancho Santa Fe

Municipio:                                 La Venta

Departamento:                         Francisco Morazán

Coordenadas:                          14°20’5.28”N   87°11’8.12”W

Patrocinador/Sponsor:            Mr. James Corcoran

Rancho Santa Fe es un centro que se dedica desde 1954 a cuidar niños huérfanos o abandonados en toda América Latina y El Caribe dándoles educación desde pre-escolar hasta la universidad si ellos así lo deciden, alimentación y vivienda, actualmente tienen al cuidado aproximadamente 600 niños, está ubicado aproximadamente a 36kms al este de la capital de Honduras, carretera hacia Catacamas Olancho.

Este centro tiene un sistema de agua el cual funciona por bombeo la fuente de agua se encuentra a unos 3km del “Campamento”, el agua es bombeada hasta un tanque principal (1) de almacenamiento, pero antes de ser almacenada el agua es tratada para neutralizar la presencia de Cianuro de este tanque el agua es enviada a un segundo tanque (2) del cual se envía el agua a todas las viviendas del “Campamento”  

Durante mucho tiempo este centro ha buscado la forma de proveer a los niños agua segura es decir apta para el consumo humano debido a la aparición de enfermedades gastrointestinales en muchos de sus niños.

Por tal razón Misiones del Agua instaló un sistema de tratamiento de agua “LWTS” para proveer agua 100% pura.

Considerando la antigüedad de la red de distribución procedimos previamente a la instalación del sistema a una limpieza profunda de toda la tubería existente por la cual a partir de la instalación se conduciría agua limpia.

Día 1. Iniciamos este proceso haciendo las conexiones pertinentes para proveerle agua al sistema, luego continuamos drenando toda el agua existente en el tanque y la tubería, para asegurarnos de esto conectamos a la tubería un compresor de aire para dejarla totalmente seca, mientras hacíamos esta labor con los señores Antonio Gonzales uno de nuestros técnicos llamado Erlin Henríquez estaba instalando el Sistema con ayuda de dos jóvenes que viven el “Centro” 

Dia 2. Este día Iniciamos cerrando todas las válvulas y llaves existentes luego iniciamos a llenar el tanque (2) pero con agua purificada es decir pasando por el sistema LWTS, esta labor fue hecha por Erlin y el fontanero del Centro Don Antonio el popular “Toñin”, luego de llenar el tanque procedimos a vaciarle 24 galones de Cloro para logar una concentración de 100ppm previo a un análisis de cantidad de agua/cloro, después con paletas de madera revolvimos el agua para logar una buena mezcla del cloro con el agua, abrimos la válvula principal de tal forma que se llenara toda la tubería, dejamos reposar el agua un tiempo aproximado de 4 horas. Después de este tiempo de espera procedimos a drenar la tubería y por ende el tanque, obteniendo buenos resultados ya que vimos como salía el agua totalmente sucia es decir esto nos indicó que las paredes de la tubería estaban siendo totalmente limpias.

Día 3. Iniciamos completando detalles de instalación del sistema, luego se entrenó al operador al señor Antonio quien se encargaría de manejar y operar el sistema este entrenamiento fue dado por Erlin Henríquez quien durante el entrenamiento se inició a llenar el tanque (2), finalmente se hizo la inauguración con el señor Ross Egge quien es el asistente de la dirección de Rancho Santa Fe, también vinieron a la inauguración muchos de los niños que viven en este Campamento. 

[ A report in English about this Project can be found in this link: 

http://www.nph.org/ws/page.php?path=news/archive/2011/honduras/newwaterfilter.php&lang=en ]  

  Photos of this Installation:

 

WMI Response to Flood Emergency in Honduras

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WMI is Coordinating a Quick Response to Provide Safe Water for Cooking and Drinking to Flood Victims in Honduras 

The WMI Office in Honduras has received requests from the Honduras Government officials to help provide safe, drinking water for the victims of the current ongoing situation in western and southern areas of the country due to the heavy rains all over the country in the past two weeks.  The request for help was referred to us through Mr. Albert Portuguez, who contacted us with the local Honduras officials to coordinate the humanitarian assistance.

We have been in contact with following official agencies in order to make the preliminary coordination for this humanitarian aid to reach the areas of the floodings:

- The First Lady Office, through Mrs. Perla Caceres
    http://www.presidencia.gob.hn/index.php/travel

- The Agriculture Department, Through Mr. Jose Garcia
    http://www.sag.gob.hn/

- Honduras Army, through Cl. Ryes Discua
    www.ffaah.mil.hn/
- COPECO
    http://copeco.gob.hn/n/

The latest development we have to make this cooperation possible is that we'll prepare 5 LWTS Systems to leave Tocoa tomorrow as early as 10AM.  We at WMI are very happy to help spread safe water for the needy in these disaster areas with the cooperation of the above mentioned Government Agencies.  As soon as we have some media content to share, we'll post it in this entry.

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011-

News of Honduras about the current emergency:
- http://tiempo.hn/index.php/portada/8774-el-rio-aguan-nuevamente-amenaza-con-cortar-el-paso
- http://tiempo.hn/index.php/portada/8775-ayuda-a-cuenta-gotas-les-llega-a-los-surenos
- http://tiempo.hn/index.php/portada/8769-otro-fenomeno-climatologico-obliga-a-extender-las-alertas
- http://tiempo.hn/index.php/portada/8767-bcie-entrega-250-mil-dolares-en-apoyo-a-las-emergencias
- http://laprensa.hn/Secciones-Principales/Honduras/Apertura/Copeco-amplia-alertas-en-Honduras-por-nueva-amenaza-del-clima

The local WMI staff in Tocoa continues working hard to get the Water Treatment Systems ready as soon as possible for them to leave our warehouse today.

WMI's Erlin Henriquez, Leonel Ayestas, Jesus Flores and Nelson Rodriguez working hard today at the Tocoa warehouse to get the systems ready to leave to Choluteca/Valle

We have received a preliminary list of Two sites for the first installations in Nacaome, Valle and will be receiving the other locations during the day. 


The WMI Volunteers that will travel to install and train operators of these emergency Systems have been selected and will travel along with the equipment to the disaster areas.  They are Erlin Henriquez and Rodolfo Oliva

Rodolfo Oliva and Erlin Henriquez will be working with the Government Agencies to get these systems running and working to provide desperately needed safe water for displaced people in the flooded areas of Choluteca and Valle.

Honduras military helping at the WMI headquarters in Tocoa.

As of 4.00PM, we have completed assembly, check up and shipment of the 5 LWTS systems to help the people in southern Honduras.  The systems were loaded to two military trucks and left the Office to La Ceiba, where they will continue to Tgu Sunday morning, and then on to the affected areas.


We hope this helps a lot the victims of the floods to prevent many illnesses that come after flooding by providing safe drinking water to all victims as soon as possible.  As negotiated with the first Lady's Office, the WMI volunteers/technicians will leave Tuesday or Wednesday to complete installation once COPECO certifies safety for the Systems in the sites where they will serve their purpose.


Each LWTS system provide safe water for up to 1,000 families (3,500-5,000 persons) so, we could reach up to 50,000 people in designated areas with these first 5 Systems.  We hope to receive more request from SAG, FL Office, COPECO, Presidencia de la Republica and any other agency to continue reaching the victims during this emergency.

Blessings to all...

Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011-

Today, we received notice from Perla Caceres of the First Lady's Office that the 5 LWTS Plants have arrived safely to Tgu as of noon.  We hope to receive more news as soon as possible to proceed with sending the Volunteer/Technicians that will work installing them and providing training to Operators in the disaster areas where each System will provide water to thousands of people

 

Monday, Oct. 24, 2011  -  Wed, Oct. 26, 2011

We had several meetings with Honduras Government officials such as the First Lady's Office, VP Office (Samuel Reyes) and COPECO in order to speed up the installation process of the Five Systems in the needy area since they are standing by in the parking lot of the Presidential Palace and WMI Policy is that every emergency assistance should be deployed as quickly as possible to the affected people in the target areas.


After several calls, meetings and negotiations, the Systems were ready to leave the Presidential Palace early Thursday to the Departments of Valle and Choluteca.

Our volunteer technicians, Rodolfo Oliva and Erlin Henriquez left late afternoon Balfate and Tocoa area, respectively, driving all night to get to Tgu about 4am on Thu., picked up some materials at the Agriculture Dept and leave to the affected areas.

Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 - Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011

 The Systems were transported by the Honduras Military and got to Nacaome, Valle about 8am of Thu, where the Honduras President -Porfirio Lobo- would make a delivery ceremony to the Four Mayors of the four different Municipalities where the five Systems would be installed.

Amongst the Mayors and other people that contributed locally to make a successful installation of these Systems are:
* Mr.Victor Flores, Mayor of Nacaome, Valle (Two LWTS's)
* Mr. Naun Calix, Mayor of Marcovia, Choluteca
* Mr. Rafael Mendoza, Mayor of Apacilagua, Choluteca
* Mr. Ramon Green, Mayor of Pespire, Choluteca
* Ing. Desiderio Martinez, SAG Representative




Our Technicians started moving the Systems with the assistance of local authorities as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with Mr. Lisandro Rosales as Commissioned Minister of COPECO (National Contingency Agency) later that afternoon to the different Communities to be installed as follows:

1-  Community of Playa Grande (Municipality of Nacaome, Department of Valle)

Some photos about the LWTS installation in Playa Grande

2- Bo. Santa Maria (Municipality of Nacaome, Department of Valle)

Installation of the LWTS System in Bo. Santa Maria

3- Community of Los Llanitos (Municipality of Marcovia, Department of Choluteca)

Photos of the installation event of the LWTS in Los Llanitos

4-  Bo. El Centro (Municipality of Apacilagua, Department of Choluteca)

Installation of the LWTS System in Apacilagua, Choluteca

5-  Bo. Abajo (Municipality of Pespire, Department of Choluteca)

This slide shows some photos of the safe water system installed in Pespire, Choluteca

Besides the above information, all these installations have entered the WMI projects database, where we will input all the follow up information for each site as follows:

Playa Grande, Nacaome:

http://reporting.watermissions.org/Assessment.aspx?AssessmentID=1726

Bo. Santa Maria, Nacaome:

http://reporting.watermissions.org/Assessment.aspx?AssessmentID=1727

Aldea Los Llanitos, Marcovia:

http://reporting.watermissions.org/Assessment.aspx?AssessmentID=1728

Bo. El Centro, Apacilagua:

http://reporting.watermissions.org/Assessment.aspx?AssessmentID=1729

Bo. Abajo, Pespire:

http://reporting.watermissions.org/Assessment.aspx?AssessmentID=1730

MAI instala Purificadora LWTS en Guapinol (Tocoa, Colón)

Se instala Purificadora de Agua Comunal en la Aldea Guapinol a través del Proyecto PASS-Colón

(Financiado por la Fundación Pentair)

Hoy, 21 de Octubre del 2011, se llevó a cabo la instalación de una Purificadora Comunal mas en el vasto Depto. de Colón por parte de MAI/WMI, el cual beneficiará a mas de 475 Familias en esta comunidad, quienes tendran acceso sostenible al agua segura para beber y cocinar a partir de la fecha.  Con este sistema, MAI ya ha instalado mas de 156 Purificadoras solo en el Depto. de Col...

Visit to Marcala, La Paz- AguaClara Water Treatment Plant

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Visit to Marcala, La Paz with the Mayor of Tocoa (Hector Hernandez) / Sermunast to inspect and learn about the AguaClara Treatment Plant installed with the cooperation of Cornell University (https://confluence.cornell.edu/display/AGUACLARA/) and other Cooperants.-  The purpose is to study the possibility of Implementing this technology in the Tocoa Water System.

AguaClara Treatment Plant Concept.-  The Cornell University

WMI members; ADEC; Municipality of Tocoa and Sermunast Board Members during the visit to Marcala, La Paz

Background.-

Daniel Smith and Jacobo Nuñez, of APP-Agua Clara Office in Tegucigalpa, visited Tocoa in October 2010 after being invited by Water Missions International's Honduras Office to give a presentation of the Agua Clara Technology to both SERMUNAST and the Bo. San Isidro Water Board.  This invitation was given after a presentation of the Agua Clara Technology at a water forum we attended in San Pedro Sula, Honduras early that year, and knowing the serious issue of the water quality both in the Tocoa urban area and in the five neighborhoods that get 'potable' water service from the Bo. San Isidro system, where they get totally unreasonable high turbidity readings of up to more than 1000 NTU after every heavy rain in the area (and documented fecal coliform readings of up 600 col/100ml) since there is no treatment at all of the piped water sent through these systems to more than 10,000 households altogether.

These sample photos show a week trial of all the dirt captured by a simple filter hooked up to these water systems during the dry season.  We carried out the same experiment during the rainy season and noticed the conditions doubled in one-day period.

Water Missions International's Mission is to be the best in class Christian Engineering Ministry that transforms lives through sustainable safe water solutions and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
Water Missions International is a nonprofit Christian engineering ministry providing sustainable safe water solutions, through a Christian world view perspective, to people in developing countries and disasters. We approach all our work with a sense of urgency and a commitment to excellence. Our faith and our belief in the sanctity of life compel us to develop and implement the best technologies and community development programs so that, through our work, God will be honored and glorified and lives will be transformed for eternity.  Clean water is the source of life. It is the foundation for health, education, and viable economies.

Because of the above, we have being preoccupied of the lack of attention to the problem of giving access to 'safe water' to so many families and people, and the lack of resources by local authorities in Tocoa to face and solve this problem.  We have provided a solution to this problem by installing several of our own LWTS^TM Systems in the different peripheral neighborhoods in part, but have been approached by local current Mayor, Hector Hernandez, to help them find a comprehensive solution to the problem so that basic standards are met to provide potable, drinkable water through the grid piped system in the town.  While we are not trying to particularly endorse any specific type of treatment plant at this point, we are willing to help facilitate an economic, sustainable solution to the problem faced by our people and have started looking at the options by considering Agua Clara, as we may consider any other suitable solution taking into account the funds availability that the Municipality of Tocoa may have. 

The Visit.-

We left Tocoa early morning of Monday, October 10th, driving for about 9 hours until we got to Marcala. We were met and greeted by Marcala´s Mayor, Rigoberto Hernandez and his Municipal Council at the Town Hall that afternoon, to explain and plan a tour to the treatment plant, designed by the Engineering Department of Cornell University and built with the sponsorship of several other organizations.

Partial view of the Marcala Municipal Council, headed by Mayor Rigoberto Hernandez, greeting the Tocoa Commission headed by Mayor Hector Hernandez.

Member of the Marcala City Council and Mayor Hector Hernandez during the reception and greeting of the Tocoa Commission.

Next day, Tuesday October 11th, after being given a brief explanation by IRWA Field Coordinator and past Cornell associate, Mr. Fred Stottlemyer (http://intlruralwater.org/about-us/our-team), who was visiting the town, we headed out to the site where two Agua Clara plants are installed, one with a capacity of treating and producing 550 gpm and a second one with a capacity of 180 gpm.

Mayors, Hector Hernandez and Rigoberto Hernandez; Mr. Fred Stottlemyer and Peace Corps fellow, Daniel Garcia.

We toured the facility and explanations were received from the above mentioned people as well as technicians of the Municipal Water Service and ADEC's facilitators.

At the time of the visit, there was a turbidity of about 160NTU's incoming to the plant due to recent rains in the area.  After addition of the proper amount of Alum (Aluminum Sulfate) to flocculate suspended solids in the raw water, the turbidity was lowered to about 4NTU's through the flocculation process, before they putting chlorine to about 2.5 ppm for a contact period of about 45 min.

Raw water from the source entering the tanks with high turbidity and high bacteria content.  Local technician explaining how the treatment process is started at this point.

Alum addition tanks

Flocculation process tanks

Raw, clean water after flocculation in the process of being added chlorine at 2.5ppm for a 45 minutes contact period before it goes to the public grid.

Tocoa has a population of about 45,000 people, compared to 14,000 in Marcala.  So, just by comparing sizes between the two cities, Tocoa would need about three times the installed capacity in Marcala, considering the local testimonials that they are just about complying with the local demand.  About 8,100 households are served through the Municipal Water Service (Sermunast), while there is an additional 1,000 households approximately, which are served by the community-based Water Board of Barrio San Isidro, which in turn, comprises about 6 small districts in the south-eastern area of Tocoa, through a separate grid.

We may be helping the Municipality of Tocoa put together an 'Investment Proposal' to search for funding for this potential, but needed, Safe Water Project, which in turn, could be used to submit to Government Agencies or International Organizations to fund this much needed improvement for the people of Tocoa.  It will probably be a 'split' project: a main proposal to serve most of Tocoa through the Municipal Service (Sermunast) and a smaller one to serve about 1,000 households through the community-based Board in the San Isidro district.

Small mobile water analysis lab installed at the treatment plant.  Signs of the plant with names of the participating organizations providing funding for their project.

At the end of the visit, Mr. Fred Stottlemyer, through ADEC, donated 50 water meters to the Mayor of Tocoa (and it seems some Marcala coffee too!), which will be used in a pilot project to monitor water usage in local car wash businesses.