24 February 2010

To: Bill Kramer
International Rural Water

From: Lynn Roberts
Agua Para La Salud
Guatemala

The filing of this report on the final months of 2009 was delayed by the press of other activities related to finishing several  projects by the end of the year and  preparing a financial  summation of all the projects completed by Agua Para La Salud for the year 2009. This report has to be filed with the Guatemalan taxing authority to maintain our non profit status.

Much time was also spent preparing a 14 school water and sanitation project for presentation to Save the Children. It looks very good for a positive response from them in early 2010. Frito Lay donated $30,000.00  to the project ; Peerwater Exchange about $8300; Progresso Cement $1900.00; and $1800.00 from my IRWA 2010 Circuit Rider budget. The project is scheduled for initiation the 1st of Feb. 2010 provided the contract is signed by then.

In the area of Solola and our Circuit Rider Alberto Xoch Yaxon work was begun and completed on topographic studies in four villages Sacbolchol old water system; El Rosario a potential water system project with Wisconsin water Asso.; caserion Bethel also a WWA potential project; and a study in El Progresso. Alberto took the initiative to contact an instructor in Solola to be trained in “AutoCAD” and used this new skill to draw a very professional set of maps for these villages.

At the end of October Alberto and a mason from from Nebaj Antonio Cavinal Toma paired up to train Alberto in the repair of a handwashing station that had become blocked in Las Canoas with the Peace Corps volunteer Crystal Sands. The process requires the breaking out of the concrete basins and installing new drain lines, drain covers and clean outs to prevent future blocking of drains and facilitate cleaning of the drains. A new design for the drain cover is being used made of 2” pvc caps that are drilled out.  The pvc caps are more resistant to theft and dislocation than the metal covers that were hard to find in hardware stores.

NEW PVC CAPS FOR DRAINS	THE OLD BASINS ARE BROKEN OUT TO ALLOW FOR NEW PLUMBING

We normally have a list of about 15 schools that need minor of major repairs to their sanitation and water facilities and work on these between major projects to organize the communities to make the repairs for school children. The villages are asked to pay for the materials and un skilled labor and the Circuit Riders provide the technical assistance and skilled labor.

NEW DRAIN COVERS AND CLEAN-OUTS	LAVAMANO WITH NEW DRAIN COVERS AND BASINS

Alberto spent the remainder of Nov. and Dec. constructing 55 wash station bases; seepage pits and valve boxes in the homes of  village El Adelanto sector #1 , Solola in preparation  for  the Wisconsin Water Asso. coming in March to install a new water distribution system in the village.

NEW BASE WITH DRAIN TO SEEPAGE PIT	OLD WASH STATION WITH GREY WATER RUNNING ON SURFACE. NEW BASE FOR WASH STATION CONNECTED TO SEEPAGE PIT BY A 3" PVC DRAIN PIPE.

Water For People funded the labor and admin costs for installing the conduction lines in the villages of Xesupio and La Libertad; and the installation of  t Norweco chlorine chambers in Pulay (350 families).  We have had requests from a number of other villages for chlorine and will install chlorine chambers when we can find financing. We are still holding discussions with the Area De Salud to arrive at some method for them to train and certify the villages for use of chlorine in their water systems.

INTERIOR OF A NORWECO CHLORINE CHAMBER IN PULAY	CONSTRUCTION OF THE PULAY CHLORINE CHAMBER BESIDE THE COLLECTION BOX FOR THREE SPRINGS
XESUPIO SPRING CAPTURE	XESUPIO DISTRIBUTION TANK TO SERVE FAMILIES ABOVE THE HYDRAULIC GRADE LINE FOR OLD WATER SYSTEM

The villagers contributed all of the materials to construct the spring capture, storage tank; Mike Paddock of Engineers Without Boarders donated the tubing for the conduction line from the spring site to the new distribution tank; and Water For People donated the labor and administration  for the project.

The La Libertad project was a similar project in which a spring capture and conduction line were built in anticipation of the Engineers Without Boarders from the U of Wisconsin Milwaukee arriving in 2010 to complete a distribution tank and new distribution system for 54 families.

The project to build a set of latrines in the Tzolcom school was completed in October in conjunction with Global Water. Previously an ex volunteer, Cati Denker, had donate funds to build a hand washing station.

	PARENTS AND VILLAGER HELPING WITH THE CONCRETE POUR OF THE ROOF OF THE LATRINES

The Kalampatzom water project began in November funded by Peerwater Exchange. The water system consisted of a distribution system for 54 families along with concrete for future homes; water taps; and seepage pits for grey water. This project was a follow up to a two years ago during which a spring was captured; a distribution tank built with chlorine chamber; and a conduction line connecting the two structures. This system had serious pressure issues due to the steep terrain and we finally had to install a series of pressure reducing valves to keep the water lines from bursting.

THE VILLAGE COMMITTEE FROM KALAMPATZOM RECEIVING A LESSON ON THE PIPE THREADER MAKING THE 54 HOUSEHOLD TAPS FOR THE VILLAGE	WASH STAND AND TAP WITH SEEPAGE PIT AND VALVE BOX. THE SEEPAGE PIT IS ENCLOSED AND USED AS A COMPOST PIT TO RETAIN THE GREY WATER WHILE FRUIT TREES ARE PLANTED AROUND THE PERIMETER TO ABSORB SOME OF THE WASTE WATER. THE FOUR CORNER POSTS CAN BE USED TO SUPPORT A FRAME WORK FOR VINE SQUASH AND PEPPERS.
WATER SETUP WITH SEEPAGE PIT IN KALAMPATZOM	DIEGO HAS DEVELOPED A PPT PRESENTATION ON WATER SHED PROTECTION, HYGIENE, SANITATION AND CHLORINE USE THAT HE PRESENTS TO EACH COMMUNITY WHERE WE WORK. THE VILLAGERS ENJOY THE SLIDE PRESENTATION AND HAVE MANY QUESTIONS.

Along with supervising the water projects hydraulic studies were made by Diego Ramirez , Circuit Rider, in the villages of Nuevo Amanecer, Antiguo Xonca, Villala and for the National Hospital for future water projects. Diego also completed the 14 school studies for the Save The Childern project during the latter part of the year.
           

 -End of report-
 Lynn Roberts