Sarah Bernier of Duperon Corporation will present "Safe Water in Ecuador" at NEWEA 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts during Session #18 on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.
One in eight people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. Every 20 seconds a child dies due to water-related illness. In one day, 200 million cumulative hours are spent collecting water for domestic use. In June 2011, Bernier was part of a group of eight water professionals representing the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Michigan sector of Safe Water in Ecuador committee who traveled from the Andes to the outskirts of the Amazon to serve impoverished communities who directly experience these statistics.
In the session, Bernier will highlight several of the projects undertaken by the Committee, including the completed water systems, sanitation and hygiene management plan for Carabuela. The project, financed by Water for People, was designed and implemented with HCJB's expertise. The community consists of 500 homes that are now served by several protected spring water sources, three pump stations to pipe across three pressure zones, and a reservoir tank with a one-day capacity. Other projects discussed will include the inaugural water event at Castug Tungurahuilla, another fully operational system of multiple tanks/pump stations.
In addition to the challenges of remote locations, lack of governmental funding, cultural issues, training issues, and logistical issues, many impoverished communities find that their biggest obstacle is willingness to pay for clean water. To ensure 100% community buy-in, HCJB employs a unique protocol prior to the project kickoff which significantly increases the implementation success rate and reduces the "entitlement" dynamic. The protocol begins with a formal request from the Water Board of the community with their commitment to water and sanitation, after which the community must finance, supply labor/materials, and create a sustainable rate system to maintain the proposed design.
However, the work does not end after installation. Sadly, 50% of water projects fail in the first few years. The team of SWIE/HJCB has created a sustainable program by including an (at minimum) annual follow-up to their installations. This assures that the community water system is optimally operating and gives SWIE funding security they are contributing to the overall longevity of successful implementation.
The intent of this session will be to gain interest/committee participation and to generate a venue where people can make a difference for others in the world within their professional field.
Duperon is the leader in preliminary liquids/solids separation technologies and provides technologies for coarse screening, fine screening, low flow screening, ultra screening, washing compacting and conveying. Duperon technologies are designed and manufactured in Saginaw, Michigan.