Turn On The Water
Phase 1 is FUNDED! If you've somehow landed here, that's because turnonthewater.org is probably cached in your browser. We're on to Phase 2, which you can check out by
CLICKING HERE.
The good people of El Porvenir don't have access to clean water. So
we've set out to turn on the water. And not just a little water that may
serve as a quick fix. We're talking about an entire system, piping
water to all 110 families in town . With your help, fecal matter and
other bacteria won't plague the community's water. With your help,
children won't be at risk of getting sick every time they get thirsty.
With your help, we can Turn On the Water!
Phase 1
Here it is. Phase 1. This is the first step in finding clean drinking
water. You have to go down. Way down! In the Northwest corner of
Nicaragua, a rig will have to drill 80 to 120 feet down before it hits enough ground water to satisfy a
community of 110 families. The current situation in El Porvenir sends most
of the community to a shallow well of 25 feet or less to fetch their
drinking water. In the dry season, most of these wells are reduced to nothing more than a slow trickle.
Our testing
of El Porvenir's existing wells showed a measurement of 300 colony
forming units (CUs) of fecal contamination per 100 ml of water. That's
the scientific way of saying there are traces of human poop in
their water. For a reference, many recreational lakes or swimming areas
in the US will shut down for anything over 200 CUs per 100ml. The people of El Porvenir are drinking water we wouldn't even be
allowed to swim in!
This is why we need your help to Turn On the Water.
Total Project Cost
Phase I: $15,500 (note: Goal you see above $7,685 has been adjusted for offline giving) Phase II: $8,200
Phase III: $10,500
Phase IV: $17,500
Total: $51,700The Existing Condition
There are 15 shallow water wells existing in El Porvenir. However, it is common for these wells to dry up in the dry season, producing at most, a slow trickle. Even when flowing, contamination is still present, leading to a host of health problems for the community. The worst of which is the dreaded Chronic Kidney Disease, already affecting most men working in local sugar cane plantations.
Sometimes, El Porvenir's shallow wells can be dirty in quite an obvious
way (below). This woman was planning to use this water for washing clothes only.
Saying Thanks
We know that our backers don't need a reward to do good in the world, but we still want to hook you guys up. Check out below to see what great swag is in store!
- Rewards of $250 and less to be delivered no later than December 15th, 2014
- Travel rewards are pending construction schedule TBD (tentative for February 2015)
Share
We would be over the moon if you would share a picture
like these. The only rule is that you should not actually Turn On the
Water for the photo, and by no means should you dump cold water on your
head. Can't be wasting water, folks!
Phase 1 Breakdown
- Project Design, Engineering, and Topographical Mapping
- Water Testing: Biological & Chemical
- Drilling Operation
- The pipe to encase and secure the borehole once drilled
- A concrete cap to secure top of borehole and prevent surface contamination
- 25% of Admin Expenses associated with this project
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