March152010

=Meeting with Las Delicias Adesco=

March 15, 2010
Today I met with the governing council of Las Delicias - see the photo below Names (to the best of my recollection are): Christina, Larry (translator), Rich, Misty (from Living Waters),Morena (nurse), Daniel, David, Fredi (President), Chilo (valvulero), Dora (treasurer), Santiago (VP), Jorge, Jose (secretary)

I started by expressing some concerns - that the information about the project now seems different than what we learned last summer and through emails with Christy, that the economic system may not be sustainable, and that it is important to develop project focus so that the assessment trip is optimally effective.

They are concerned with equitable water distribution and feel that the pipelines supplyling water to the tank are the main concern; growth of the community has been a major source of the stress on the system and future stress (due mainly to families building additional homes on their property). Again there was lots of talk about the diameter of the tube and that the tubes are all 20 years old (and were designed for 20 year life so need to be replaced). When leaks occur, they occur in the pipes leading from the well to the two storage tanks and mostly in the 6" lines. The speculation is that the narrower tubes downstream (uphill) create high pressures that lead to leaks at the joints of the 6" pipes.

We scheduled three additional meetings to follow up on details: (1) Economic analysis with Fredi and Dora on Wednesday morning 3/17, (2) mapping of household water deliveries with Chilo and Morena on Wednesday afternoon 3/17, and (3) walking to mountain spring source on Saturday 3/20). Generally enthusiasm and cooperation seems high. They want to know what they can do to help prepare for the assessment trip.

Two people from Living Waters for the World were at the meeting - they are interested in installing a water treatment system - but it would provide centralized pay-per-fill treated water rather than an in-line water system. We need to explore how that system could link with the current and future water systems.