La Crucita Water System Project in Honduras
Water Charity is set to begin a new project in Honduras, Central America. Under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Michelle Richards, a potable water system will be built in the community of La Crucita, Siguatepeque, Comayagua, Honduras.
The design calls for the collection of water from a natural spring, and piping it by gravity a distance of 1.4 kilometers. A small pump is used to pump the water up 10 meters to a 3,000 gallon distribution tank. It is then piped by gravity 0.8 km to each house in the community.
The project will serve 15 houses at present, with a total population of approximately 90 people. However, it is designed to handle the expected rise in population over the next 20 years to 167 people.
The labor will be provided by the members of the community, who are also contributing materials, such as sand, rock, and wood.
The municipal government of Siguatepeque is donating half of the money needed to complete the project.
The project is divided into phases, which will allow us to start right away while we are still seeking funds to complete the project. The first phase calls for building the spring box around the water source. This will keep the source from being contaminated, and allow for easy daily access to the water.
The second phase calls for the construction of the conduction line and distribution tank, and installation of the pump.
The third and final phase will result in the construction of the distribution network, with taps at each house.
Michelle reports that arrangements have been made with a local NGO, Aldea Global, to coordinate the work in the field. The project is ready to begin, and Michelle will keep us updated on the progress.
We urgently need your donations so that we can move quickly through the phases of the project. If you click the Donate button below, your contribution will be earmarked for the La Crucita Water System Project.
The first phase of this project, the construction of the spring box, has been completed. To read about it, CLICK HERE.
Completion of La Crucita Spring Box
The first phase of the La Crucita Water System Project has been successfully completed. To read about the start of this project, CLICK
HERE.
The project was designed so that each stage could stand on its own and create value, even if, for some reason, an obstacle prevented progress on subsequent stages.
The first phase was completed despite the political unrest in Honduras, which threatened the project. This attests to the commitment of the town and the ability of Peace Corps Volunteer Michelle Richards to persist under adverse conditions.
In the end, the municipality was able to honor its commitment, and the town was able to raise additional money through fund-raising activities, such as raffles and food sales.
Michelle Reports:
The community chose to hire a construction supervisor named Pedro Santos, who lives nearby and regularly works on similar water systems with Aldea Global. He constructed the spring box in accordance with the design specifications. The community members provided all the non-skilled labor required.
The members of the community were able to convince the municipality to donate pipe, and they have actually begun to lay the piping from the spring box to the site where the cistern will be located.
The community members were led by two outstanding representatives. Pedro (a different Pedro), the President of the town council, managed the money, and purchased and transported the materials. Carmen, the Vice President of the town council, organized all of the members of the community to work on the system. She kept track of how many hours each family contributed toward the project, and made sure that the workers were on the job each morning.
According to Michelle, everyone is very excited about the project, and they are looking forward to the next phase, in which water will be brought to the cistern. This will eliminate the 2 km. hike from the village to retrieve the water.
We are still seeking donations to pay for the first phase, and are working hard to accumulate funds to proceed to subsequent stages. Donations in any amount may be made by clicking on the Donate button at the bottom of the project description.