Intag´s Water: In-Depth

The following is a summary of my notes that were taken during meetings and site visits in my first week working in Intag. I was accompanied by my project manager, Ian, and our skilled agronomist & off road driver, Paul, during the four day trip. Each community has an elected president who joined us in the meetings with the residents, where the purpose was to discuss the successes and failures of water supply systems that were installed over the past years by various contracted engineers.

San Luis, 28 July 2009
The first community meeting, held in the local school, was a positive one. After introductions the residents informed us how their water system was functioning well, they were chlorinating the reservoir tank regularly, and they were effectively managing the maintenance of the system. Each household in this community contributes $1.50 per month which is shared between the maintenance operator, and a contingency kitty for materials and repairs.

The residents told how they had noticed an improvement in health in their children, who had previously consumed water contaminated with parasites. School attendance was up and an improvement in general health was noted.

The main obstacle facing the continued success of the San Luis water system centres on preserving the land surrounding the spring capture. At present a 400 sq.m perimeter protects the spring, within which no deforestation is permitted. The community has agreed to purchase a larger area of land above the spring in order that the landowner cannot cut down the trees that are crucial to the longevity of the water spring.

Don Carlos, the landowner, has agreed to the purchase... subject to the condition he can cut down his one last prize tree that towers over the slopes below. How to attach a cash value to a tree, considering its massive value to the community, is a discussion that will continue.

Santa Rosa, 29 July 2009
On the drive from Nangulvi Ian noted the development that has taken place even since this time last year. Santa Rosa is no longer a 6 hour walk from the nearest parking place, with the construction of a new road allowing us to reach far closer and take a 1 hour walk in. New electricity lines have been constructed over recent years and it seems clear that quality of life here is improving with these advances.

The water system in Santa Rosa is functioning reasonably well, save that sedimentation and blockage from leaves seems to be an issue during winter. We suggested some improvements at the spring capture point that should improve things.

Barrio Nuevo, 30 July 2009
A small meeting in the primary school with the teachers and the system operator highlighted some problems. Whilst there was adequate flow entering the system, those households upsteam found themselves without water for long periods during each day. Word had got to the school that one downsteam household was leaving the tap open for entire days at a time in order to water the crops and the cattle.

In a system that is designed specifically for treated water for human consumption, the social side to engineering solutions is key. To ensure shared responsibility and accountability, each household´s use is metered. We visited the accused household and were welcomed in to have a look around.

After a bit of a chat Ian demonstrated that leaving the downsteam tap open, due to its higher pressure, meant that households upsteam would be without water. After we checked their meter and did some quick calculations the household were surprised to find they had used 8 years worth of water in 1 year. Encouraging monthly monitoring by the system operator should ensure that this does not happen in future, and that households are collectively responsible for the water they consume.

Quinde Km 18, 31st July 2009
There are two systems installed at Quinde but only one currently in operation. With its higher altitude of 9000ft the climate here is cooler and the cloudforest means that little sunlight gets through during the day. After a meeting in a chilly local hall with Don Aurelio and Don Segundo we visited the systems and noted the main issues they were having.

Some resistance to chlorinating was evident, which meant that the water quality was not much better than had been supplied previously. Part of the reason for this was the misunderstanding that white bubbles in their water was, in fact, due to turbulence and dissolved air, not as a result of treating with chlorine. It was pointed out to the residents that swimming pools are clear as crystal, and that chlorinating in other villages had resulted in a marked improvement in health.

The second system was capturing sufficient water at its inlet but delivered next to nothing to its reservoir tank. This was a result of the construction of a new autopista highway, whose construction had caused ruptures and leaks in the pipe at various locations.

Back in the Office...
The plan for the coming weeks will involve further studies on these water systems and the design and construction of improvements where necessary. What is encouraging is the dedication of the maintenance operators and the committment of each of the communities to understand how their system functions, and the processes they need to put in place to ensure their sustainability.