Help Provide Clean Water to Corail Lamothe, Haiti

NEWS! The EWB-SCFL chapter made the first site assessment trip to the community of Corail Lamothe, Haiti from October 31, 2009 through November 5, 2009, during the end of the wet season.

About the Trip

Trip Objectives: 1) Meet with the local Water Committee and establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU). 2) Identify a location for a new cistern/rain catchment system for potable water supply. 3) Evaluate the local water sources 4) Conduct a health assessment

Trip Summary: The EWB-SCFL travel team consisted of Kevin Friedman, William Marshall, and Patrick Saint-Lot. In addition, Bruce Goddard and a few of his colleagues from our NGO (non-governmental organization) partner HERO (Health and Education Relief Organization) accompanied the EWB team. Upon arrival the team met with the Water Committee, consisting of 13 Corail Lamothe residents, to identify the community's needs and begin establishing the MOU. Patrick, native to Haiti, volunteered to act as the translator during the trip on behalf of EWB-SCFL. The major concerns discussed were; 1) Spring protection 2) New cistern/rehab existing cisterns 3) School supplies. The preliminary plan was to construct one new large central cistern for the community to share at a local church. After meeting with the committee, it was determined that one central location would not be the most beneficial solution to the water supply and accessibility issues, as many residents would still have to walk a long distance to access the water. The travel team was able to survey about ten (10) existing cisterns in the village in desperate need of rehabilitation or replacement. Rehabilitation would include concrete repair, gutter repair, water stops, sealant and coatings. Providing multiple sources of water allows for more convenient accessibility for the residents of the community. The team was able to collect roof area measurements and calculate the existing available storage volume of approximately 70,000 gallons. Slow sand filtration at a household level was also discussed with the Water Committee. EWB-SCFL would like to include filtration as part of this phase of the project and the Water Committee agreed. Slow sand filtration is a proven technology that provides 90-99% pathogen removal. The filters do not use chemicals, contain no moving parts and are constructed by a local Haitian non-profit organization, Pure Water for Haiti. Select members of the community will attend a two day training seminar led by representatives of Pure Water for Haiti to ensure proper filter use and maintenance and help to initiate hygiene education at the household level. The EWB-SCFL and HERO travel teams had an organized community meeting at the local church to discuss the partnership between our teams and Corail Lamothe. The meeting included men women and children of the community.

Next, the travel teams walked with locals to three (3) springs, of which Corail Lamothe residents use the first two. Flow measurements were taken at the first spring which is approximately a 3 hour walk round trip. As mentioned previously, the travel team was in Corail Lamothe at the end of wet season, so the spring was flowing at about 2 gpm. During dry season, from November to the end of April, the first two springs dry up and water is not readily available. The second spring is approximately a 5 or 6 hour walk roundtrip.

The health assessment is an ongoing effort as there are not medical records for the residents of the community. The health information received is word of mouth. The EWB-SCFL team will follow up with this effort during the implementation trip.

GOALS:

Phase I EWB-USA SCFL will provide construction materials and design expertise to help rehabilitate existing cisterns and optimize rain catchment systems to provide 65,000 gallons of water storage. Also provided, with the help of Pure Water for Haiti, will be the household slow sand filter, as well as training to Corail Lamothe community members to ensure proper maintenance and to help initiate hygiene education.

Phase I Implementation Schedule: Late April 2010, before rainy season begins.

Phase I Implementation Cost: Approximately $25,000.

Phase II Composting latrines will be implemented to serve as sanitation facilities that will introduce a natural biological process to remove pathogens and provide a safe product that can be used to improve agricultural production

Phase II Implementation: October 2010, end of rainy season.

Action Items: 1) A memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been created and Patrick will translate the document from English to Creole. The MOU is an agreement between EWB-SCFL and the Corail Lamothe Water Committee. The agreement will detail EWB-SCFL’s intentions and responsibilities and the responsibilities of the water committee for Phase I of this project. Bruce Goddard will be traveling back to Haiti in mid-December with another EWB project team and will deliver the MOU to the Water Committee for their approval and signatures. 2) To achieve our goal of implementation by late April 2010, fundraising is a key element. To rehab the cisterns, we'll need to purchase the necessary materials to do so, hire laborers and potentially hire a local contractor. Materials are extremely difficult to access due to the distance and rough terrain between Corail Lamothe and the locations construction materials. During rainy season, it is next to impossible.

Fundraising Goal by April 2010 $25,000.

THANK YOU!! On behalf of EWB-SCFL and the Corail Lamothe project team, we’d like to send our donors our deepest gratitude for your support during these tough economic times. Without your donations and kind hearts, this project would not be possible. Because of your generous gifts, the residents of Corail Lamothe, Haiti will have reliable, safe potable water sources for many years to come!

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• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - EWB-SCFL and Corail Lamothe (DOC)
• Project Presentation (PPT)