On February 28th, 2011, a new, full-scale water system was officially turned on in the community of Guaricayán, carrying a consistent supply of clean and sufficient water to each of the 33 houses in the community and impacting the lives of nearly 200 people.
During January and February of 2011, Water Brigades students and staff worked with community members of Guaricayán to complete the project. Throughout the construction of the system, they:
- Constructed a new dam.
- Constructed and painted a new storage tank with chlorinator.
- Dug approximately 3,200 meters of trench.
- Installed 800 meters of 3-inch and 2-inch pipe in the conduction line.
- Installed 2,400 meters of 2-inch, 1 ½ -inch, and 1-inch pipe in the distribution network.
- Installed over 400 meters of ½ – inch pipe for household connections.
- Installed 1 control valve at the dam, 3 cleaning valves, and 2 air valves in the conduction line.
- Installed 1 entrance valve and 2 exit valves at the tank.
- Connected faucets at 33 houses, 1 school, and 1 church.
- Supplied each household with drinking water storage buckets.
- Planted approximately 200 new trees in the community’s watershed.
- Completed a community clean-up and trash removal.
- Raised a fence protecting the area surrounding the storage tank.
- Painted and posted signs marking the protected watershed area.
- Presented educational workshops to community youth on Water and the Environment, Water Quality, Hygiene and Sanitation, Watershed Protection, and Plumbing for Children.
Thank you to the Water Brigadiers from the University of Southern California, University of Virginia, Saint Louis University, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Stony Brook University, Mount Allison University, University of Victoria, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for making this project possible!
