India
Fundraising for Andhra Pradesh, India
USD: 47,000 / 57,000 (82%)
About the Project
Engineers Without Borders – San Diego Professional Chapter plans to provide clean, potable water for the village of Chakicherla, Andhra Pradesh, India – home to 4000 people and located in the southeastern part of the country, 1 km west of the Indian Ocean. The village economy is underdeveloped and based largely on fishing, prawn farming, and day laboring, with wages averaging about $2 a day. Most drinking water is currently obtained from hand pumps at wells located in the center of the village. The women and girls of the village spend an average of 45 minutes a day walking to and from these wells to obtain water, which usually contains bacteriological contamination and excessive ocean salinity.
Since the first days of EWB-SD’s involvement in the summer of 2006, the villagers have been enthusiastic and optimistic about partnering with EWB-SD to create a source of reliably clean water. EWB-SD members have made 4 site visits to Chakicherla so far, resulting in an improved water distribution system throughout the village and several new hand pumps near the ocean, providing improved water quality for fisherman. Most importantly, the chapter has forged a solid relationship with the community and a thorough understanding of what will constitute a water treatment facility that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
The main focus of the chapter’s last site visit in February 2010 was to analyze all water treatment technologies available to determine the best fit for the village. Water quality data from multiple test sites within the village, the health of the villagers, the village economy and many other key variables were all rigorously investigated. The unambiguous result of the analysis is that Reverse Osmosis (RO) is the only feasible choice. This technology has proven successful and sustainable in other villages near Chakicherla.
The RO plant will consist of a raw water pump station, pipeline, an Operations building containing the RO equipment and distribution point, and drainage system. Construction began in May 2011. The plant will become operational and begin supplying the village with fully treated water in September 2011. Operational data will be collected and analyzed by EWB-SD for a year, with the intention of optimizing the plant’s performance and adding a second RO train to supply potable water to more people in 2012. Many thanks to everyone who has worked on the project over the last 5 years to make the dream an (almost!) reality, including everyone who volunteered their time and talents to work on the project, our generous donors, EWB-USA, and the entire EWB-San Diego community.
Contact
For more information and recent updates on this project, please come to our next chapter meeting or contact us at india.project@ewb-sandiego.org.
