Water Supply for Drinking and Sanitation
Suncallo, Bolivia located at: S 15 ° 39.158, W 69 ° 00.101 Elevation: 3,962m
Project Cost Funds Needed To Learn more about this project:
Phase 1 - $9,975 Phase 1 - Completed EWB-COS Website: www.ewbcos.org
Phase 2 - $6,591 Phase 2 - $6,591 Contact: Matt.Grimes@ewbcos.org
Phase 3 - $15,650 Phase 3 - $15,650
Colorado Springs Professionals
Background for community sanitation. There is presently only a single
latrine inside a small brick building located near the school.
The Aymara Indian
Obviously, this single sanitation facility is inadequate for a
culture pre-dates the
community of 55 families.
Inca Empire and is
geographically located The EWB-USA Response
in the Titicaca High- EWB teams, guided by community leaders, inspected the
lands of Bolivia and proposed water sources and walked the proposed route of
Peru. Although some a new pipeline/aqueduct system, taking GPS coordinate
modernization has data to develop topographic maps. Team members ex-
occurred in Suncallo, amined the two main spring-fed water sources, took water
the lives of these rural samples, measured intake flow rates, and examined the
people still reflect the existing condition of the PVC pipeline and its structural
ancient ways of their support across wide ravines. Agriculture and irrigation
ancestors. techniques were also documented, with soil samples col-
Derek Phipps with Aymara Girls lected and analyzed.
A purely agrarian society, the inhabitants of Suncallo sur- Moving Forward
vive primarily though sheep ranching and subsistence Phase 2 of the project will ad-
farming of potato and beans. The rugged Andean moun- dress the immediate needs of re-
tain land has been farmed and grazed for centuries creating pairing and stabilizing the gravity-
significant challenges for agricultural production and natu- fed water delivery system.
ral resource management.
Improvements will be made to
Members of the EWB - Colorado Springs Professional the spring intakes to prevent the
chapter (EWB-COS) along with Cadets from the EWB - ingestion of foreign matter and a
Air Force Academy Student chapter (EWB-AFA) travelled Existing Pipe Support
pipeline suspension system will be
to Suncallo in May 2009. The site assessment trip allowed constructed for the two ravine crossings. At present, the
us to initiate a relationship with the community, as we col- pipe is supported by “sticks” as it crosses the ravine.
lected engineering data to more accurately define the scope
of the project. A water storage tank will eventually need to be constructed
to provide a reliable source of water for household use.
The Need The preliminary site survey work for this effort and for the
Suncallo community lead- sanitation facilities will be accomplished during Phase 2.
ers identified their top Phase 3 will provide construction of the water storage tank
priorities as increasing the and possibly several community latrines. Further analysis
capacity of the present will determine whether improvements to the existing sys-
drinking water system in tem will meet the community needs or if additional water
order to provide service sources will have to be developed and piped back to the
to the entire community, community.
and developing a solution Inspecting a Water Source
Engineers Without BordersTM-USA (EWB-USA) is a non-profit organization established in 2000 to partner with developing communities worldwide in
order to improve their quality of life. Website: www.ewb-usa.org Phone: 303-772-2723
