Kurtz Humanitarian Initiative for Southwest
Honduras
Water Project
We have been working on a
project to improve the water facilities at Moropocay and Puerto Grande, the
two remote villages to which our medical, dental and construction teams have
been travelling each year. The medical team repeatedly treats
water borne illnesses that would not have occurred or spread if clean water were
available for drinking. We are now very close to a solution in each
village.
2012 Water Report - Rick Kurtz
January 9, 2012 Moropocay
Harlon Mills, Jane Collingwood, Tom Kelso, and Melvin Flores, all associated
with Living Waters for the World, and Rick Kurtz with the Khish team, conducted an
inspection of the existing water supply and site for proposed installation of
water filtration/sanitizing equipment and solar power generation equipment in
Moropocay.
Existing Water System in
Moropocay
There is a concrete tank that is in working condition
located in front of the church. The tank holds approximately 5000 gallons
of water, and is fed by a spring box that is 240' away up a slight incline.
The water was flowing from the spring into the tank when we inspected, and
the flow rate was measured at approximately 144 gallons per hour. Most of
the houses do not have running water, and a faucet near the tank provides a
place where community members come to draw water. There is a Water
Committee that turns on the flow of water to the faucet at 5am and off
in the evening each day. At night, the tank fills. This provides a
sufficient supply of water for the Moropocay community of 27
houses.
However, the water was tested by Jane Collingwood in
2010 and found to be contaminated with coliform bacteria. This situation
presents an opportunity for Khish to work with the good people from Living
Waters for the World since their mission is filtration and sanitizing of
water for drinking, not supply of raw water, and they can only proceed with
projects when there is workable existing infrastructure in place to supply
sufficient water to a community.
Proposed Installation in
Moropocay
The installation in Moropocay will involve three
components, a basic building, the water filtration/sanitizing system, and a
solar power generation system. The building will house equipment and
serves as a water bottle washing, filling and storage station. The
building will be approximately 10' x 20' with a roof that provides 8 1/2 to 9'
of headroom inside. It will be concrete block construction, and will include a
fairly low service window through which 19-liter (about 5-gallon) water bottles
of drinking water will be delivered to residents by the operator. The
window must be capable of being secured at night. The building will have a
sink area with two sinks for sanitizing bottles with bleach and rinsing
them, and racks for storing them. One of the short walls will hold LWW's
standard 4x8' board with the water filtration equipment. We have a drawing
showing details of the configuration of the building for purposes of
construction. The building will be built on community property in front of
the church, next to the existing water tank. There are an old unused
concrete water tank and about 4 trees on the building site which must be
removed.
Because there is no electricity up here in Moropocay, a
solar power generation system will be installed on a pole outside the new
building, and will provide not only the power needed to run the pumps and
filtration/sanitizing equipment, but also some extra power for charging cell
phones, which they rely on for communication, and for running lights (and
possibly a refrigerator) in the church. The standard solar equipment
provides 450W of power, but the particular unit installed will be sized to match
the requirements in this case. Tank stands will be constructed from
stacked concrete blocks outside the new building to raise the water holding
tanks up above the level of the pumps of the filtration system. The
filtration system will likely be of the type that uses ozone to sanitize the
water, but might need to be the UV type or the more expensive Reverse Osmosis
(RO) type depending on the outcome of the tests of water samples taken during
our visit for TDS and hardness.
It is important to note that the existing faucet for
providing raw, unfiltered water will remain in approximately the same location
where it is currently, and the generation of clean sanitized water will not
interfere materially with the residents' current use of the raw water.
The water filtration system has a limited capacity, and can only filter a
relatively small amount of the available water. Because of this, the
sanitized water is to be used only for four things: drinking, cooking, brushing
teeth, and caring for babies.
Proposed
Logistics
Khish and Trinity will sponsor and manage construction of
the water building. Living Waters for the World will provide the
expertise and management of the water filtration/sanitizing equipment
installation, and Solar under the Sun will provide the expertise for
installation of the solar equipment. Jane Collingwood's church, Wyoming
Presbyterian in Millburn, NJ, will sponsor Jane's work and the
filtering/sanitizing equipment. Harlon Mills' and Tom Kelso's church in
Cordoba, TN will sponsor the solar generation equipment. The LWW people
are ready to commence their installation in two stages with two months
notice.
January 9, 2012 Meeting With Moropocay Water
Committee (the "Junta Agua") and Local Church
The meeting was held in front of the small school house in
Moropocay. In attendance were: Felipe Silva, President of the Moropocay
Water Committee; Dionisio Dominguez, Treasurer of the Water Committee; Francisco
Alvarado Romero, Member of the Water Committee; Pastor Elmer of the Iglesias
Presbiteriana Verbo De Dios; Pastora Emeritus Raquel Canales of the Iglesias
Presbiteriana Verbo De Dios; Harlon Mills with LWW; Melvin Flores with LWW; Jane
Collingwood of LWW; Rev. Mark Wright of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and
Rick Kurtz with the Khish group.
While we were waiting for members of the Water Committee to
arrive, Jane Collingwood asked Pastor Elmer a series of standard survey
questions such as the location of the nearest plumbing supply store (Nacaome),
whether there is currently any water treatment in place (a few residents have
filters), and the taste of the water (it is soft and tastes good). Jane
inquired as to whether people were getting sick from the water, and Pastor Elmer
confirmed that they were. It was explained to us that an NGO built their
current water supply system years ago, and informed them at that time that the
water was contaminated. Pastor Elmer informed us that there is enough
water from the single well to provide more than enough water to the residents
every day, except in the dry season of March through April when they have to
ration it to every other day. Jane noted that she had tested the water in 2010
and that it was contaminated with bacteria. Jane asked if the people had
expressed a desire for clean water, and Pastor Elmer responded that they know
they would be in better health. It was expressed that they would like to
have the ability to preserve and store clean water for the dry season, and
Harlon responded that we do not provide that
ability.
Melvin
Flores explained the proposed installation of water filtration equipment that
would be available to produce clean water in 5-gallon bottles 2 or 3 days per
week. Melvin explained that the solar power equipment which would
be installed to power the system would also provide a charging station for
charging of cell phones by members of the community. Pastor Elmer asked
how long the system lasts, and Harlon answered that the equipment can last 20
years, except for the batteries and filters that need to be replaced from time
to time. Pastor Elmer explained that their cell phones currently need to
be taken to San Lorenzo to be charged. This trip can take half a day and
the residents have to pay for the charging. Pastor Elmer asked whether the
power generated would be enough to run amplifiers for a microphone and guitar
for 3 services per week at the Church. Tom Kelso responded that he would
have to look into the wattage requirements of that equipment, and that the new
system could be sized for the particular requirements in this installation.
Harlon Mills noted that the power output that the standard system could
provide is 450W. Pastor Elmer inquired as to when the construction
was take place, and Harlon responded that it would be this year, but would not
start for at least two
months.
We asked whether, if we provided the materials, the men
from the community could build the building for the equipment. Mr.
Dionisio Dominguez of the Water Committee responded that they could, but they
would need to hire a mason to oversee the work, and the cost to pay him would be
250 - 300 Limpiras per day. He estimated that the building project would
take about 1 week. Harlon explained how the system
works.
Melvin explained how the system would be maintained.
In order to sustain maintenance of the system over time, including
replacement of batteries and filters, we requested that they charge a nominal
cost such as 5 limpira (about 26 cents) for the 5-gallon bottles of clean water.
For those residents who cannot afford this cost, the water should be given
away for free. We requested that at least 25% of the clean water
be given away for free. An average family uses about 2 bottles per week.
The Church and the Water Committee can decide how much to charge.
Extra water may be sold to neighboring communities if they choose.
We requested that they not charge more than 50% of the local prevailing
price for water, which is currently 15 Limpiras for a 5-gallon bottle. Mr.
Dionisio Dominguez of the water committee asked whether people would have to
come to the new building to get water. Harlon replied that they would, or
the village could arrange delivery as part of its business plan. Melvin
explained the system whereby each family gets one of the bottles (provided by
LWW) at a time, and exchanges their empty bottle for a full one when needed.
Mr. Silva of the Water Committee noted that some families are large and
they would need more than one bottle. Harlon stated that they could
negotiate with LWW for more bottles if they like. Harlon noted that the
clean water is only for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and caring for
babies.
We requested that the small charges received for the clean
water be held by the Church and used for maintenance, and that any money left
over be the property of the Church. Mr. Dionisio Dominguez asserted that
the water committee should receive the money from the
charges.
The
Water Committee will go back and talk, and will give us an answer on their
approval on Wednesday when we return.
January
11, 2012 Meeting With Moropocay Water
Committee
The meeting was held around the water tank. In
attendance at meeting were: Francisco Elvarado, member of the Water Committee;
Felipe Silva, President of the Water Committee; Dionisio Dominguez, Treasurer of
the Water Committee; Pastor Elmer; Pastora Racquel; Harlon Mills; Melvin Flores;
Denny Leeper; Tom Kelso; Jane Collingwood; Rick Kurtz; 7 women from the
community; and 3 other men, including the grandson of the landowner of
Moropocay.
Melvin answered a few brief questions from the Water
Committee members (in Spanish only). Melvin then explained that we are
ready to go, are looking for a commitment, and have a covenant that reflects our
commitment and theirs. Mr. Dionisio Silvara Dominguez of the Water
Committee handed Melvin a list of their demands. This included a demand
that the new clean water system not use the town's existing water supply system
at all, which would require that we build a new spring box, new piping from the
spring to the water storage area, and a new raw water storage tank. The
list also required that the cleaned drinking water be supplied free of charge to
all residents (which would leave them without a means for sustaining the system
over time). An animated, almost heated, debate ensued between the Water
Committee members, mostly Mr. Dionisio Dominguez, and Melvin/Harlon for nearly
an hour.
We proposed as a concession that the Water Committee take
20% of the charge for the clean water bottles. However, no agreement was
reached. The ladies of the village were very strongly in favor of the
installation, as were the Pastor and Pastora, but the Water Committee would not
agree. Afterward, we were assured that there are other people of the
village outside of the Water Committee who hold substantial power, and they
would be consulted in an effort to change the minds of the Water Committee.
Melvin exchanged cell phone numbers with Pastor Elmer, and he will call
Melvin on Monday or Tuesday to let him know whether a final decision has been
made by the village.
Tuesday,
January 10, 2012 Puerta Grande
The project in Puerta
Grande is similar to that in Moropocay as described above, with three
exceptions. Pastor Posadas is on the Water Committee and has given us
assurances that the Committee approves of the project. The project is not
ready for LWW to proceed because the existing water supply is not functioning
due to a broken pump. Pump replacement will cost approximately $2300 plus
the cost of installation, and Melvin Flores is pursuing that with local pump
companies.
He is also exploring the possibility of drilling a new well
on Church property for the water system since the distance between the Church
property, where the installation will be, and the well is far and the pipes
running that distance are old and cracking. Finally, Puerta Grande
differs from Moropocay in that there is existing electricity available, and so
no solar power generation equipment will be required.
Many, many thanks are in order to Harlon Mills, Jane Collingwood's,
Tom Kelso, Melvin Flores, Mark Wright and our own Denny Leeper for their
excellent work and for teaching me (Rick Kurtz) the ropes. Thank you so much to
the churches who have supported this water project, without which all involved
would not have the strength or resources to do this good work. Even more
thanks and love to my dear father, Dick Kurtz, for initiating and providing his
enduring hard work on the water project both in Honduras and from home over the
past 4+ years.
Kurtz Humanitarian Initiative for Southwest Honduras
Water Project
2012 Water Report - Rick Kurtz
January 9, 2012 Moropocay
Existing Water System in
Moropocay
There is a concrete tank that is in working condition
located in front of the church. The tank holds approximately 5000 gallons
of water, and is fed by a spring box that is 240' away up a slight incline.
The water was flowing from the spring into the tank when we inspected, and
the flow rate was measured at approximately 144 gallons per hour. Most of
the houses do not have running water, and a faucet near the tank provides a
place where community members come to draw water. There is a Water
Committee that turns on the flow of water to the faucet at 5am and off
in the evening each day. At night, the tank fills. This provides a
sufficient supply of water for the Moropocay community of 27
houses.
However, the water was tested by Jane Collingwood in
2010 and found to be contaminated with coliform bacteria. This situation
presents an opportunity for Khish to work with the good people from Living
Waters for the World since their mission is filtration and sanitizing of
water for drinking, not supply of raw water, and they can only proceed with
projects when there is workable existing infrastructure in place to supply
sufficient water to a community.
Proposed Installation in
Moropocay
The installation in Moropocay will involve three
components, a basic building, the water filtration/sanitizing system, and a
solar power generation system. The building will house equipment and
serves as a water bottle washing, filling and storage station. The
building will be approximately 10' x 20' with a roof that provides 8 1/2 to 9'
of headroom inside. It will be concrete block construction, and will include a
fairly low service window through which 19-liter (about 5-gallon) water bottles
of drinking water will be delivered to residents by the operator. The
window must be capable of being secured at night. The building will have a
sink area with two sinks for sanitizing bottles with bleach and rinsing
them, and racks for storing them. One of the short walls will hold LWW's
standard 4x8' board with the water filtration equipment. We have a drawing
showing details of the configuration of the building for purposes of
construction. The building will be built on community property in front of
the church, next to the existing water tank. There are an old unused
concrete water tank and about 4 trees on the building site which must be
removed.Because there is no electricity up here in Moropocay, a solar power generation system will be installed on a pole outside the new building, and will provide not only the power needed to run the pumps and filtration/sanitizing equipment, but also some extra power for charging cell phones, which they rely on for communication, and for running lights (and possibly a refrigerator) in the church. The standard solar equipment provides 450W of power, but the particular unit installed will be sized to match the requirements in this case. Tank stands will be constructed from stacked concrete blocks outside the new building to raise the water holding tanks up above the level of the pumps of the filtration system. The filtration system will likely be of the type that uses ozone to sanitize the water, but might need to be the UV type or the more expensive Reverse Osmosis (RO) type depending on the outcome of the tests of water samples taken during our visit for TDS and hardness.
It is important to note that the existing faucet for providing raw, unfiltered water will remain in approximately the same location where it is currently, and the generation of clean sanitized water will not interfere materially with the residents' current use of the raw water. The water filtration system has a limited capacity, and can only filter a relatively small amount of the available water. Because of this, the sanitized water is to be used only for four things: drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and caring for babies.
Proposed Logistics
Khish and Trinity will sponsor and manage construction of
the water building. Living Waters for the World will provide the
expertise and management of the water filtration/sanitizing equipment
installation, and Solar under the Sun will provide the expertise for
installation of the solar equipment. Jane Collingwood's church, Wyoming
Presbyterian in Millburn, NJ, will sponsor Jane's work and the
filtering/sanitizing equipment. Harlon Mills' and Tom Kelso's church in
Cordoba, TN will sponsor the solar generation equipment. The LWW people
are ready to commence their installation in two stages with two months
notice.
January 9, 2012 Meeting With Moropocay Water
Committee (the "Junta Agua") and Local Church
The meeting was held in front of the small school house in
Moropocay. In attendance were: Felipe Silva, President of the Moropocay
Water Committee; Dionisio Dominguez, Treasurer of the Water Committee; Francisco
Alvarado Romero, Member of the Water Committee; Pastor Elmer of the Iglesias
Presbiteriana Verbo De Dios; Pastora Emeritus Raquel Canales of the Iglesias
Presbiteriana Verbo De Dios; Harlon Mills with LWW; Melvin Flores with LWW; Jane
Collingwood of LWW; Rev. Mark Wright of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and
Rick Kurtz with the Khish group.
While we were waiting for members of the Water Committee to
arrive, Jane Collingwood asked Pastor Elmer a series of standard survey
questions such as the location of the nearest plumbing supply store (Nacaome),
whether there is currently any water treatment in place (a few residents have
filters), and the taste of the water (it is soft and tastes good). Jane
inquired as to whether people were getting sick from the water, and Pastor Elmer
confirmed that they were. It was explained to us that an NGO built their
current water supply system years ago, and informed them at that time that the
water was contaminated. Pastor Elmer informed us that there is enough
water from the single well to provide more than enough water to the residents
every day, except in the dry season of March through April when they have to
ration it to every other day. Jane noted that she had tested the water in 2010
and that it was contaminated with bacteria. Jane asked if the people had
expressed a desire for clean water, and Pastor Elmer responded that they know
they would be in better health. It was expressed that they would like to
have the ability to preserve and store clean water for the dry season, and
Harlon responded that we do not provide that
ability.
Melvin
Flores explained the proposed installation of water filtration equipment that
would be available to produce clean water in 5-gallon bottles 2 or 3 days per
week. Melvin explained that the solar power equipment which would
be installed to power the system would also provide a charging station for
charging of cell phones by members of the community. Pastor Elmer asked
how long the system lasts, and Harlon answered that the equipment can last 20
years, except for the batteries and filters that need to be replaced from time
to time. Pastor Elmer explained that their cell phones currently need to
be taken to San Lorenzo to be charged. This trip can take half a day and
the residents have to pay for the charging. Pastor Elmer asked whether the
power generated would be enough to run amplifiers for a microphone and guitar
for 3 services per week at the Church. Tom Kelso responded that he would
have to look into the wattage requirements of that equipment, and that the new
system could be sized for the particular requirements in this installation.
Harlon Mills noted that the power output that the standard system could
provide is 450W. Pastor Elmer inquired as to when the construction
was take place, and Harlon responded that it would be this year, but would not
start for at least two
months.
We asked whether, if we provided the materials, the men
from the community could build the building for the equipment. Mr.
Dionisio Dominguez of the Water Committee responded that they could, but they
would need to hire a mason to oversee the work, and the cost to pay him would be
250 - 300 Limpiras per day. He estimated that the building project would
take about 1 week. Harlon explained how the system
works.
Melvin explained how the system would be maintained.
In order to sustain maintenance of the system over time, including
replacement of batteries and filters, we requested that they charge a nominal
cost such as 5 limpira (about 26 cents) for the 5-gallon bottles of clean water.
For those residents who cannot afford this cost, the water should be given
away for free. We requested that at least 25% of the clean water
be given away for free. An average family uses about 2 bottles per week.
The Church and the Water Committee can decide how much to charge.
Extra water may be sold to neighboring communities if they choose.
We requested that they not charge more than 50% of the local prevailing
price for water, which is currently 15 Limpiras for a 5-gallon bottle. Mr.
Dionisio Dominguez of the water committee asked whether people would have to
come to the new building to get water. Harlon replied that they would, or
the village could arrange delivery as part of its business plan. Melvin
explained the system whereby each family gets one of the bottles (provided by
LWW) at a time, and exchanges their empty bottle for a full one when needed.
Mr. Silva of the Water Committee noted that some families are large and
they would need more than one bottle. Harlon stated that they could
negotiate with LWW for more bottles if they like. Harlon noted that the
clean water is only for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and caring for
babies.
We requested that the small charges received for the clean
water be held by the Church and used for maintenance, and that any money left
over be the property of the Church. Mr. Dionisio Dominguez asserted that
the water committee should receive the money from the
charges.
The
Water Committee will go back and talk, and will give us an answer on their
approval on Wednesday when we return.
January
11, 2012 Meeting With Moropocay Water
Committee
The meeting was held around the water tank. In
attendance at meeting were: Francisco Elvarado, member of the Water Committee;
Felipe Silva, President of the Water Committee; Dionisio Dominguez, Treasurer of
the Water Committee; Pastor Elmer; Pastora Racquel; Harlon Mills; Melvin Flores;
Denny Leeper; Tom Kelso; Jane Collingwood; Rick Kurtz; 7 women from the
community; and 3 other men, including the grandson of the landowner of
Moropocay.Melvin answered a few brief questions from the Water Committee members (in Spanish only). Melvin then explained that we are ready to go, are looking for a commitment, and have a covenant that reflects our commitment and theirs. Mr. Dionisio Silvara Dominguez of the Water Committee handed Melvin a list of their demands. This included a demand that the new clean water system not use the town's existing water supply system at all, which would require that we build a new spring box, new piping from the spring to the water storage area, and a new raw water storage tank. The list also required that the cleaned drinking water be supplied free of charge to all residents (which would leave them without a means for sustaining the system over time). An animated, almost heated, debate ensued between the Water Committee members, mostly Mr. Dionisio Dominguez, and Melvin/Harlon for nearly an hour.
We proposed as a concession that the Water Committee take 20% of the charge for the clean water bottles. However, no agreement was reached. The ladies of the village were very strongly in favor of the installation, as were the Pastor and Pastora, but the Water Committee would not agree. Afterward, we were assured that there are other people of the village outside of the Water Committee who hold substantial power, and they would be consulted in an effort to change the minds of the Water Committee. Melvin exchanged cell phone numbers with Pastor Elmer, and he will call Melvin on Monday or Tuesday to let him know whether a final decision has been made by the village.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 Puerta Grande
The project in Puerta
Grande is similar to that in Moropocay as described above, with three
exceptions. Pastor Posadas is on the Water Committee and has given us
assurances that the Committee approves of the project. The project is not
ready for LWW to proceed because the existing water supply is not functioning
due to a broken pump. Pump replacement will cost approximately $2300 plus
the cost of installation, and Melvin Flores is pursuing that with local pump
companies. He is also exploring the possibility of drilling a new well on Church property for the water system since the distance between the Church property, where the installation will be, and the well is far and the pipes running that distance are old and cracking. Finally, Puerta Grande differs from Moropocay in that there is existing electricity available, and so no solar power generation equipment will be required.
Many, many thanks are in order to Harlon Mills, Jane Collingwood's,
Tom Kelso, Melvin Flores, Mark Wright and our own Denny Leeper for their
excellent work and for teaching me (Rick Kurtz) the ropes. Thank you so much to
the churches who have supported this water project, without which all involved
would not have the strength or resources to do this good work. Even more
thanks and love to my dear father, Dick Kurtz, for initiating and providing his
enduring hard work on the water project both in Honduras and from home over the
past 4+ years.