Sunday, January 6, 2013

Running Water at the School: Part 1 - Let it Rain!


December 2011

In order from most important to least important, for a rainwater catchment system you need:  rain!, a large roof, and tanks & tubes.  Luckily, the school in Alto Playón has ALL of them!

I approached the maestro about building a rainwater catchment system for the women who cook in the school kitchen.  Not that the school wasn’t using the rainwater, just that it could be an improved and more robust.  Currently, they have 3 55 gallon tanks that sit on the ground uncovered.  This means that women have to walk to the tanks and scoop out the water – allowing for cross contamination and a waste of time.

The system I was describing would provide potable, running water for the kids to drink, hand wash, and for cooking and dishwashing.  It would also obviate the onerous task of women carrying having to carry 40 lbs. of water from the river, and introduce them to the concept of having this in their home.  Improved water & sanitation starts with women.

My approach was the same one as I had taken with the composting latrines.  Provide technical assistance by giving design, cost, and maintenance options to the maestro and the Padres de Familia (PTA).  I gave them three options, from most robust to least in terms of cost ($) and work (W):

         I.     A cement platform and cement tank  ($$$, WWW)
       II.     A cement platform and buy a 250 gallon plastic tank ($$, WW)
     III.     A wooden platform, connecting the current 3 plastic tanks ($, W)

I told them that Option I was by far the best because you can’t beat a cement tank.  Option II was a compromise, a good cement base with a plastic tank.  You see plastic tanks all over Panamá and the Darién, but my only problem is algae can grow in them, and they can get deformed.  Option III was the Chevy, but at least it would provide running water.  Of course…they chose the easier one! 

They also decided that this would be something that they want to do next year, but they would get started on cutting wood.

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