See Past Projects for info and photos from 2007 and before.

Here is an update from the Summer 2008 projects in Jinotepe and Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua:

Elementary School Flooding
Jinotepe, Nicaragua.  2008 Assessment

Project Cost: $10,000 (projected)

Background
PSU student chapter of EWB has a 3 year commitment to Nicaragua and 2 years working within the Municipality of Jinotepe. In 2007 Jinotepe municipal mayors office requested assistance in developing a comprehensive assessment of grade, right of way and drainage to sustainably implement relief of localized, seasonal flooding of a public elementary school.

Issue
The school is mid slope in a depression that collects runoff from three neighborhood right of ways and 7 up grade residence’s. Daily attendance at “Dulce Nombre” elementary school is approximately 125-150 students. School buildings and immediate surrounding grounds accumulate up to 30 cm of standing water during Nicaraguas rainy season.  Of primary concern are 1 of 3 classrooms, the schools administrative building and school grounds at fore of pit latrines. 

Assessment
Partnership with Jinotepe Muncipal Mayors office and working directly with municipal employees accelerated data mining of municipal records. Information located included pertinent right of way engineering reports, 24 hr max precipitation IDF graphs and soil infiltration rates. Volunteer help from local Civil Engineering students of University Paulo Freire resulted in upper and lower drainage, relative to school, GPS mapping and survey of 3 primary right of way. Nicaraguan students and municipal staff were integral in extensive interview and discussion with local residents, which identified further localized standing water issues and historic flow patterns.

Design
Entire school site, upper and lower drainage are currently being modeled within “HydroCad” to determine appropriate location and sizing of remediation features.

Preliminary Recommendations
For the school buildings and grounds themselves the design team is considering boundary flow channels, swales and dry wells for safe redirection and infiltration of school grounds storm water runoff. Specific portions of school grounds may require elevation fill to direct water into culverts, historic flow channels and away from school structures. Right of ways will require addition of drainage culverts and perforation zones to slow and redirect up grade storm water runoff into historic down stream infiltration and drainage basins.

Click here for a .pdf of the assessment summary

Well Salt Water Intrusion
Huehuete, Nicaragua.  2008 Assessment

Project Cost: $10,000 (projected)

Background
PSU student chapter of EWB has a 3 year commitment to Nicaragua and 2 years working within the Municipality of Jinotepe.  Huehuete is a village of approximately 1000 residents within the municipality of Jinotepe.  In 2005 the municipality drilled two village wells and developed a distribution network. Within two years both new wells experienced either permanent or periodic saltwater intrusion, making them unfit for human consumption. 

Issue
Current operating village water system is a single operating well.  Well is located on upper south bank of the river Flor.  The single well is subject to periodic salinisation.  From the river Flor 4” water main follows the main road south through Tamarindo to terminate in Huehuete. Existing system does not make pressure to bring water to Huehuete, 6 km distance. Currently the village of Huehuete has no potable water source.  Water must be transported, via truck where villagers can then purchase, at relative large expense, potable water.  The municipality is requesting assistance in assessment, design, implementation and management of new potable water infrastructure to serve Huehuete.

Assessment
Partnership with Jinotepe Muncipal Mayors office and working directly with municipal employees accelerated data mining of municipal records.  Information located included as built reports and proposed test/new well locations. Assistance from local Civil Engineering students of University Paulo Freire was instrumental in locating, well/distribution system mapping, measuring (depth), testing (ph, cond, temp) of wells and interviews of local residents. Walking and mapping of water distribution system revealed 2 major system breaks. Local interviews located 8 private wells, of which  none are considered potable.   Water from these wells is used only for washing and watering animals. Further interviews of residents revealed actual location of primary 4” water main and 1” feeder lines from existing salted wells.

Design
Develop community based water management committee. Locate geological best location for new wells. Develop a system of wells and storage tanks to supply 1000 (10 gal/person) year round Huehuete residents.

Preliminary Recommendations
Phase implementation.

Summer 2009:  Development of village water management committee.  Develop repair and service plan for existing distribution system.  Detailed WQ evaluation of operating well to determine actual performance.

Summer 2010:  Locate and drill second well.  Locate and erect water storage.

Summer 2011:  Locate and erect water storage 

Click here for a .pdf of the assessment summary