Clean Water for a Well Community - Colonia Segovia

With the political situation stabilized and the day to day operations of the Honduran government seemingly normalized, EWB-USA has lifted the travel restrictions to Honduras and the Segovia Project team has been gearing up for a quick return to the country. Design is complete, and the local government has been hard at work on the construction of the water tower. Four members of the Segovia Project team will return to the community on March 13th to begin construction of a distribution system to carry water to each of the communityʼs approximately 75 homes from the soon to be completed elevated storage tank and new well. Shovels are already in the ground as the villagers dig the trenches for the distribution piping under the guidance of Peace Corps volunteer and environmental engineer Chris Hickey. The team of volunteer engineers will begin laying pipe upon their arrival and train the villagers during construction to allow the locals to build as much of the system as possible, thus ensuing their sweat equity enhances their ownership stake in the system and increasing the long-term sustainability and success of the system and the community's operation of it. The EWB team will also check in on the progress made by the Junta de Aqua (water board) that has been collecting a user fee for the water system to allow purchase of construction materials and accumulation of a maintenance and repair fund. The villagers will also receive operation and maintenance manuals and training on routine maintenance of the well, pump, tank, chlorination, and distribution systems to allow them to successfully operate the system long after the EWB team has departed. While in Honduras, the Segovia Team also hopes to meet with partners expressing interest in partnering to provide future improvements such as sanitary sewer/septic systems and possible drainage improvements.