WATER, GRAY WATER FILTERS, LATRINES& STOVES

EL PERICON, SAN MARTIN JILOTEPEQUE - GUATEMALA

2011 – 2012

BACKGROUND: Behrhorst Partners for Development (BPD) has been working in communities of San Martin Jilotepeque and Patzún, Chimaltenango, Guatemala, since 2002. In order to address some of the basic causes of poor health in these areas, over the last 9 years we have expanded our efforts to help the villagers address basic sanitation – water systems, gray-water filters and latrines – in order to help prevent the constant diarrheas that afflict the population, particularly children, and make the child mortality one of the highest in Latin America

BENEFICIARIES: El Pericón, the community that would benefit from this proposal is located 8kms. over a poor-quality, unpaved road from the county seat of San Martin Jilotepeque, and 28 kms. from the Dept. (State) capital of Chimaltenango. It has a population of 450 people comprised of 75 families. There is public transportation only on market days (three days a week); at other times people needing to go into town or return home must hope that a pick-up truck will pass and let them climb aboard. The people there work primarily in agriculture, a few on their own land and many on rented land. Some work as day laborers on other farms, receiving $6.55/day. Almost none can grow enough crops to sell – the major crops of corn and beans are primarily for the family’s consumption. Some are Catholics, some are evangelicals, but all are respectful of the Mayan practices of their ancestors.

REQUEST: The request is for three components: 1) a pump water system to serve the entire village; 2) a gray-water filter at each household sink; and 3) a vented pit latrine and for each household (the latter two components to help ensure the continuing good quality of the community’s water). A fourth OPTION is vented stoves for each family, pending finances.

1)WATER

Currently the community suffers from a lack of water in their homes. The women and children must walk 45 minutes each way to gather water from small springs or, in the dry season when these springs dry up, they must go farther, either to more distant springs or to a river which, like 98% of Guatemalan surface water, is contaminated. To wash clothes, they must either walk 2 kms. away, or to even more distant rivers.

The community purchased land which has a water spring on it. A study the Municipal Govt. paid to have done indicates the spring will supply 125 liters of water/person/day, which is within the range for this climate as determined by the World Health Organization. The community has sought additional technical and financial help from the Municipality of San Martin Jilotepeque and other government and non-profit organizations, but to date have not received any positive answer.

The total budget for this component is Q 305,725.2 We are seeking $ 40,227.00 to buy construction materials for the following:

Suction tank and catchment system near the site of the spring, pump house, and the distribution/storage tank, pressure relief boxes, air valves, cement, iron, sand, gravel, wire;

PVC pipes to carry water from the catchment tank to the storage tank, and from there to the 75 houses, with one spigot at each house.

PVC pipe of 250 PSI, 2.5” diameter and HG pipes to carry water from the spring site to the distribution tank;

PVC pipe of various diameters PSI of 160, 250, and 315, for a total length of 2,850 meters, to go from the suction tank to the distribution tank and from there to 75 homes, each one with its own connection.

Pump equipment to pump the water from the suction tank to the distribution tank.

The remainder of the budget will be covered by the Municipality ($7,950.00 for technical supervision and masons) and the community itself ($19,800,000 local materials and unskilled labor).

As part of the water project, the Municipality will provide 10 seedlings per family (pine and cedar) for each family to plant and care for, particularly around the water sources. BPD will provide education about the use and management of water for human consumption.

2)GRAY-WATER FILTERS

BPD has observed that in providing water at one faucet per home, we have created a problem of standing water around the “pila” (the place, usually outdoors, where dishes and laundry are washed), which can increase diseases. In order to solve this problem, we have created a gray-water filter to be built behind each “pila”. It consists of a hole 2-3 meters deep with a diameter of 90 cms., and a cement cover with a “breathing hole” in it. The used waters go down via a short drain down this hole into materials (gravel and sand) which collect the soap and grease from the water. This water then flows out into the ground, thus avoiding concentrations of dirty water.

Cost of construction materials for 75 gray-water filters: $2,567.00

3)IMPROVED VENTED PIT LATRINES

The communities want to improve sanitation and avoid diarrhea, especially among small children, via construction of vented pit latrines, so they do not have to meet their necessities in the open air near the house. The latrine consists of a hole dug 5 meters deep and 85 cms. diameter, a 1m. cement slab over it with a place to sit and a hole, concrete block walls and roof of corrugated metal with a PVC tube to serve as an aerator to avoid bad odors.

Cost of construction materials for 75 latrines $ 6,180

TOTAL NEEDED FOR THE THREE COMPONENTS: $48,974 PLUS $4,897 (10% SUPERVISION COSTS) FOR A TOTAL OF $53,871

4)IMPROVED STOVES – OPTIONAL PENDING FINANCES

To complete the projects needed for the community BPD is seeking US $10,800. with which to pay the major portion of the stove for the 75 families that want them and will do their part. Currently we are using the Peace Corp stove model, which takes a bit longer to build, but is bigger and the women love that. In addition, doing the actual construction is a great exercise in community development and local participation.

Each family needs to put in the equivalent of US $40.00 (the equivalent of 2 days’ mason wages and local materials). They also need to attend two training sessions and permit BPD staff and visitors to come into their homes to ensure the stoves are being used and properly maintained. These stoves use approximately 60-65% less wood than the open fires currently used for cooking in each household.

Commitments of each of the parties:

The villagers will provide:

  1. locally-available materials (wood, sand, rocks).
  2. unskilled labor (they’ve made a schedule of shifts for people to dig the trenches, place the pipes, construct the distribution tank), calculated at Q50/day
  3. Plant and care for the trees, especially around the water springs to help preserve them.
  4. Each family will contribute to a fund to be used for maintenance of the water system.
  5. Create a list of volunteers to constantly monitor the water system.
  6. Organize the community to receive educational talks about proper home water use, as well as the gray water filter and the latrine, the stoves and the importance of conserving the environment and the forests;
  7. Conduct visits to different homes to ensure all 4 components of the project are being used properly.

The Municipality of San Martin Jilotepeque will provide:

1.Skilled labor and supervision of the community workers, for an estimated cost of $7,950.00

2.Providing 750 seedlings to the village (10 per family) for reforestation.

Behrhorst Partners for Development will:

  1. Seek funds to carry out the project;
  2. Support the community’s organization to carry out the project and will supervise the various components of it;
  3. Oversee the proper use and transparency of the donor’s funds, which will pass through BPD’s accounting system;
  4. Ensure that each participant abides by its commitments;
  5. Oversee the carrying out of the project, supporting the families and the different participating entities;
  6. Conduct the educational component about: management of water for home use, prevention of diarrhea diseases, family nutrition, birth spacing, environmental preservation; use of used water to improve home gardens or fruit trees, as well as the care and maintenance of the latrines.

PROJECT BUDGET – EL PERICON

WATER, GRAY WATER FILTERS, LATRINES& STOVES

VILLAGE OF EL PERICON, SAN MARTIN JILOTEPEQUE - GUATEMALA

2011 – 2012

Component / Other Private Donors / CT/MA/ RI
Rotary Clubs / Municipality / Local Residents (materials and labor) / BPD (In-kind) / TOTAL
Water System / 14,227 / 26,000 / 7,950 / 19,167 / 67,344
75 Gray-water Filters / 2,567 / 2,109 / 4,676
75 Pit Latrines / 6,180 / 2,998 / 9,178
Project Supervision / 4,897 / 4,897
Administrative Costs / 5,387
TOTAL / $27,871 / $26,000 / $7,950 / $24,274 / $5,387 / $91,482
OPTION:
75 improved stoves / $10,800 / $3,000 / $13,800

For further information, please contact:

Rick Lawrence –El Pericon Water Project Chair

District 7890 Water & Sanitation Projects Chair

Manchester, CT Rotary Club

139 Wyneding Hill Road

Manchester, CT06040

860-643-4560 H

860-643-2161 O

860-558-2793 C

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