Summary
A gravity water project delivering 70 liters/day per inhabitant and a latrine to all individual houses and school, education for maintenance, long term hygiene and sanitation, the preservation and reforestation of the watershed. Will make possible drinki
Background
The population uses mostly running water from ravines including that in the private property of near-by ranch-owners. We have verified that these are extremely polluted. There are no previous sytems. But there exists fairly near an abundant spring that allows delivering water not only to Quirragua but to two other villages at a lower elevation.
Location
El Carmen, Proviince of Matagalpa, Municipality of Matiguas, NicaraguaAttachments
Focus
Primary Focus: Drinking Water - Community
Secondary Focus: Sanitation - Community
People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 481
74 families , 56 women . 298 children
Present population survey is by APLV
School Children Getting Water: 373
Children from surroundings of village attend this school and water and latrines will be available there.The number of additional children not belonging to the village itself is estimated.
People Getting Sanitation: 612
The whole village population +the outside children attending school. See description of benefits
People Getting Other Benefits: 612
Hygiene education, a program that stretches over several years reaches all homes and is incorporated in the school. Capacity building is inherent in the organization of the village prior to project. Fish farming made possible by water system is under study for this project.
Start Date: 2009-10-15
Completion Date: 2010-06-15
Technology Used:
The presence of this abundant spring which is unusually easy to protect from pollution and drying up suggest a gravity system as the obvious first choice. These systems are the specialty of APLV which has designed and help build 60 of them- all presently functioning. The basic components are a spring-catching and protecting construction, a buried conduction line to a holding tank evening out the supply over the day, and a distribution network leading to individual water taps all by gravity.
APLV has developed advanced design tools for such systems which have performed excellently
Phases:
Once the community is ready, (which this one is) the project will be carried out in one stage.
Community Organization:
The community has been organized. Families have each individually signed a commitment to work the required number of men-days. A CAPS (committee charged both to organize the daily work schedule during construction and to learn and provide maintenance after construction) has been formed. Monthly rates per family have been established to cover maintenance and its tools. The project is kept under observation by APLV for 4 to 6 months and is thereafter formally handed over to the community as its owner. The spring has been formally handed over to that community and to the other two ( Quirragua and San Isidro) by its former owner
Government Interaction:
The proTject is endorsed and facilitated by the municipality of Matiguas which has pledged a
a modest financial contribution as well (see below)
Ancillary activities:
Reforestation is one component of our training of the community. Monitoring of baby health and measurement of the impact of our program on baby development is another. The amelioration of the diet of the farmers thru fish farming is contemplated.
Other Issues:
This undertaking should of course be the responsibility of the local and central governments. While municipalities are just beginning to contribute to such projects, their resources allow them to be only minor contributors. However they may play an important role for instance in helping enforce the national law guaranteeing communal access
to springs and other sources of water as well as using their facilities (trucks) for material transport. Both are the case with the municipality of Matiguas
Maintenance Revenue:
The maintenance costs are totally assumed by the community thru monthly payments collected by the CAPS. The CAPS is responsible for the management of the fund. Maintenance costs are minimal and estimated at 70/month. There are no operating costs except for maintenance. This is the advantage of spring-fed gravity systems. But APLV periodically insures that the maintenance committee (CAPS) is working properly and collects the necessary funds for maintenance. The ownership of the system and of its springis that of the community itself.
Maintenance Cost: $840
Metrics:
Prior art before metrics
Cost: $73,123
This is the external cost. Including the community contribution it is: $98011
see budget attachment in description document
Co Funding Amount: $5,169
The municipality of Matiguas, 2954
APLV’s general funds, 2215
Community Contribution Amount: $24,889
Contribution of 5650 man-days of work @ 4$ per day: 22600
Monetary contribution (part payment of individual water stands, food for technical personnel, tools for maintenance): 2289