Boosting Water Supply in Rural Nicaragua

In 2017, the team implemented Phase I of the project: the construction of a groundwater well. Groundwater, in particular, was chosen to provide a sustainable and clean source of water. Moreover, groundwater naturally replenishes due to rainwater infiltration. It is, therefore, a virtually ideal freshwater source for LMICs due to its perennial availability. However, the challenge inherent in groundwater use is that water must be pumped from a relatively deep aquifer to the surface. This process requires considerable hydraulic pressure, costing significant amounts of energy to generate. Thus, the primary design objective was to reduce the number of pumps and keep energy requirements low. Fortunately, in Phase II, EWB-Mines could minimize the energy cost by harnessing Los Gómez’s naturally sloped terrain.

After drilling the well in 2017, EWB-Mines planned to travel and collect more data the following summer. However, 2018 brought political unrest in Nicaragua, resulting in canceled travel plans and delayed progress. During this time, EWB-Mines relied more heavily on their second key project partner: the local EWB country office in Managua. This close collaboration kept the project moving in 2020, when travel plans were again disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In light of travel restrictions, Engineers Without Borders-USA recommended remote implementation. However, without boots on the ground, the poorly understood geography of Los Gómez began to present a design problem to the team. Houses in the community are divided across two hillsides. Many homes are located along a gully periodically used as the main road. The community layout made it difficult to resolve pressure and flow issues as the pipeline ran down on one hillside and up to houses on the other, traversing a difference in elevation of over 200 feet (60 m). Several suspension crossings designed in a cost-effective yet durable manner were also necessary to cross the gully.

In addition to the challenging geography, insufficient local internet and cell service often impeded effective communication with Los Gómez community members. Without frequent contact, obtaining community feedback on design decisions and keeping the community informed on developments proved difficult. However, EWB-Mines’ partnership with the local EWB country office allowed the team to work around these challenges. The country office offered vital help by collecting data, performing surveys, and arranging meetings with the community. The country office was also able to provide relevant and culturally informed advice at every turn. Similarly, the country office was instrumental in working with the community to resolve disputes and formalize the system’s long-term management. The EWB-Mines team could have never accomplished this alone.

By the end of 2020, EWB-Mines was able to put together a complete design and construction plan. The final system consisted of a distribution network providing fresh water to 50 households spread out across 15,000 feet (4,500 m) of pipeline. The groundwater is pumped from a well depth of 250 feet (75 m). Then the water is subsequently stored in two, 1,250-gallon (5,000 L) chlorinated storage tanks at an elevation over 1,000 feet (300 m). The pipeline branches in several locations and includes eight sections of supported stream crossings. Taps stands are located at each household and include meters used to charge residents a monthly fee. The EWB-Mines team designed the system to recover sufficient pressure to achieve a community-wide flow rate of nearly 1.5 GPM (5 LPM). Pressure relief valves (PRVs) would be carefully calibrated and installed throughout the system to prevent over-pressurizing the joints in the pipeline network.

With the design work done, EWB-Mines formed their third partnership in December 2020 with Santiago Betanco, a professional Nicaraguan engineer with extensive construction experience. Betanco had previously executed similar community-based water distribution projects. Without Betanco’s expertise, the team would have struggled to overcome the many surprises that presented themselves during construction. Betanco was flexible and decisive when the need to suddenly re-route sections of the pipeline arose. He was also able to draw up quick designs when the alternative pipeline location resulted in five new stream crossings. His knowledge of local construction practices and creative design adaptations meant that the project only faced minor delays. The construction of the distribution network was completed in late March 2021.

However, the completion of the distribution system only addresses half the goal of providing access to clean water. In the longer term, maintaining high water quality is another complicated challenge.

EWB-Mines chose to partner with a local organization, EOS, to install a water treatment system to maintain the quality of the water stored in the tanks. The treatment system consists of a cheap and simple chlorinator. In addition to installing the system, EOS will also provide training on the use and maintenance of the system. Without proper training, the community would run the risk of over-chlorinating the water, which could cause changes in taste and risk stigmatization of the water source. As EOS is a Nicaraguan organization, they are familiar with local customs. They can adequately address the community’s concerns and questions. Finally, EWB-Mines will document these operation and maintenance (O&M) procedures in a concise manual.

The feats accomplished together by the EWB-Mines team, the EWB country office in Nicaragua, and the talented experts in Nicaragua underscore the significance of partnerships in humanitarian development work. It is not a matter of foreign aid but a matter of working toward a collective future as a global society. Additionally, by partnering with local organizations, the project is more likely to be sustainable in the long term as there is decreased reliance on foreign assistance. Today, EWB-Mines anticipates a future monitoring and evaluation (M&E) trip. Seeing the distribution system up and running in person will be a much-celebrated sight after these years. WW

About the Authors: Madison Berry has been a project lead for the EWB-Mines project in Nicaragua for the last two years. She graduated in May 2021 from the Colorado School of Mines with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in engineering for community development. Her interest lies in the WASH field and she hopes to work in international development after graduation.

Florian T. H. Kleinhoven is soon graduating with a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Newcastle University in the U.K. He also works for EcoSwell, a renewables NGO in Peru, and mentors the EWB-Mines team for the Los Gómez water distribution project.