Report: San Isidro, (Province of Matagalpa, Municipality of Matiguas, Nicaragua) integral drinking water project

A gravity water project delivering clean water and a latrine to individual houses, education for maintenance, long-term hygiene and sanitation, and the preservation and reforestation of the watershed.

The water supply and sanitation project in the community of San Isidro, Municipality of Matiguas in the department of Matagalpa is a gravity flow system that is benefiting 34 families.

The system is fed by a spring that is located on the hill of Quirragua and serves the community of Quirragua, Carmen and San Isidro.

Spring Capture

This spring capture is constructed of simple brick and mortar, has an internal filter of rock and sand, a collection box with a metal lid for inspection, and an inspection cover for the filter.

Conduction Line

The conduction line for the community of San Isidro starts at the tank of the community of Carmen and consists of 1331 meters of PVC pipe (a combination of 1” SDR 26, 3/4" SDR 17, and ½” SDR 13.5). It has a capacity to of 42 liters of water per minute.

Water Storage Tank

The tank is constructed of reinforced concrete with steel # 3 rebar. The concrete used for construction of this tank is 3000 PSI and the tank has a capacity of 10 cubic meters.

Distribution System

Work on the distribution trench began May 19. The trench is being dug one meter deep, with the aim of ensuring greater durability to the pipeline and therefore lower the maintenance cost for the community. In total 7743 meters has been excavated, pipes going from 1/2" up to 1 1/2" have been installed.

6 subterraneans crossing have been constructed.

One 36 m suspension bridge has been constructed to receive a 2" pipe.

Community Organization

Over the period of the initial proposal and the implementation phase, the following activites have been undertaken:

• Presentation of standards and policies of APLV
• Socio-economic survey which allowed us to assess the economic situation of the community
• Legalization of easements and agreements with the mayor of Matiguas for its assistance (tools, food and processing of legal deeds for the spring, tank and trench)
• Formation of the Water Committee
• Signed committments from all beneficiaries
• Ensure the logistics for the APLV staff during the execution of the project.
• Implementation of several assemblies to form working groups and evaluate the progress of work
• Coordination between the mayor's office to review agreements Matiguas (Contributed by the mayor)
• Home visits to encourage family participation.
• Two training session with nine members of the Water Committee with the themes of responsibilitie, functions and leadership.
• Four training with Water Committee and one with the entire community to discuss the organization of the project
• Four community assemblies on the topics of health, hygiene, sanitation, watershed conservation.
• Four meetings with the Water Committee to assess progress of the work.

Health and Hygiene:

Actions Taken:

• Participation in two assembly aims to raise awareness of the water and sanitation project
• Sanitary-hygienic assessment and a written report of the assessment
• Physical, chemical and bacteriological analysis of the water
• Participation in two meetings with the Water Committee to discuss the health education plan
• Development of plans and budget

Project execution stage

• Coordination between the MINSA (Ministry of Health) and MINED (Ministry of Education) to develop workshops for students and coordinate with community health leaders.
• Two training sessions with the 9 members of the Water Committee on leadership tasks and functions.
• A workshop for the 40 families on solid and liquid waste.
• Home visits to 40 families to assess the state of hygiene in homes
• Workshop with students in first through sixth grade on the subject of maintaining a healthy environment in order to prevent vector-borne diseases
• Workshop with the Water Committee on health monitoring system and water-borne diseases.
• Three training sessions with beneficiaries on use and management of water, personal hygiene and food hygiene.
• Four training sessions with students on school and environmental hygiene, water use and management, food hygiene and household sanitation.
• Two home visits to follow up on the guidance given in trainings and lectures.
• Water quality analysis

Drinking Water Committee
A Drinking Water Committee was formed early in the process of assessing this project and has remained organized and has demonstrated leadership in the community. The creation of this committee is a key element in ensuring the sustainability of the project. The committee members received training in management, administration, maintenance, watershed management and efficient use of the water resource.

Health and Hygiene Education
The objective of the Health and Higiene Education Program is to guarantee that the families of the community receive the maximum possible benefit from access to clean water and sanitation. The APLV team worked directly with families and school children on personal hygiene, gender issues, latrine maintenance, food handling, trash management and water conservation.

Watershed Conservation
The following activities were undertaken as part of the APLV watershed conservation program:
• Workshops on land management practices that promote an ecological approach
• Creation of a protected area surrounding the spring
• Measurement and demarcation of the watershed
• Installation of a fence around the protected area
• Development of a long-range watershed management plan

Finally, Agua Para La Vida has been working with rural Nicaraguan communities for over 20 years. Our long-term presence in the region enables us to maintain contact with our partner communities to provide on-going assistance.

The start of the project was delayed due to the unavailability of pipes from the distributor. This caused the work to begin during planting season, which has delayed progress somewhat.

No specific learning.