Puede ver ésta página en español.

 Click here for news and updates.
Please click here to make a contribution.

Project Background:

Save the Children Canada has partnered with North Carolina State –EWB for this project. This project will provide water treatment and water collection systems for the Capacitation Center in the town of Asanquiri, Bolivia.

The goals of this project are:

  • Instruct individuals in the community in the construction and maintenance of water treatment options
  • Achieve a reduction in the occurrence of water borne illnesses such as diarrhea and parasites through sustainable water treatment methods
  • Measure a reduction in the total coliform levels as a sign of overall water quality improvement
  • Improve the knowledge and practice of sanitation techniques through an education program tailored to teaching personal hygiene and sanitation methods
  • Introduce a sustainable water collection system in the campus and provide further water storage mechanisms in an effort to prolong water availability well into the dry season

Project Description:

Currently there are spring boxes for water sources, three storage tanks, but no water purification or filtration. The contamination occurs mainly due to uncontrolled animal grazing near the spring box. North Carolina State University’s chapter of EWB will provide the expertise necessary to design and implement a water purification and filtration system that can be entirely maintained by the town. Also, EWB-NCSU will assist in the formation of a town committee to be responsible for the system during and after the installation, a crucial step in the long-term sustainability of the project. Currently, we are looking into a slow sand filtration system as a means of achieving the required level of sanitation. Slow sand filtration appears to be best suited to fit the needs of the community and EWB because the design is cost efficient, is easily maintained, and is constructible from resources available in the area.  As a more reproducible method, SODIS (solar disinfection) will be taught to the locals as an alternate method.  A rainwater catchment system along with a storage tank are to be designed to provide additional water availability during the dry season.

Contacts:

Committee Chair: Akeem Robinson (akeem.robinson@gmail.com)

Sand Filtration: Chris Love (chris.love3@gmail.com)

SODIS Research: Hanna Rodriguez (hkrodriguez@gmail.com)

Rainwater Catchment: Danielle Touma (danielletouma@gmail.com)

Hygiene Education: Emily Raider (erraider@ncsu.edu)