Engineers Without Borders USA builds a better world through engineering projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs. Our highly skilled volunteers work with communities to find appropriate solutions for their infrastructure needs.

Cerro Verde, Ecuador

Drinking Water Supply & Filtration

Background

Cerro Verde is a rural community in western Ecuador located just outside of the town of Rocafuerte. The community consists of about 55 families and has a total population of approximately 225 people. The community’s main economic activity is farming corn during the rainy season, although subsistence farming and raising small livestock are also common. Some community members travel into Rocafuerte for work as well.

Currently Cerro Verde does not have a reliable drinking water source. The natural springs are too salty due to proximity to the coast, and surface water is expensive to impound and treat. A cistern located in the center of the community is periodically filled with water purchased from the Rocafuerte municipality. However, the cistern has been known to run dry when the water truck breaks down or can’t access the community due to road conditions. For this reason, many families rely on rainwater harvesting during the rainy season and purchase barrels of drinking water from local vendors, when necessary.

The purpose of the EWB-ATL Cerro Verde Program is to collaborate with the Cerro Verde Community and the non-governmental organization (NGO), Engineers in Action (EIA), to implement a feasible and sustainable water supply system for residents. Access to clean water for residents of Cerro Verde is an urgent need. The first project under this Program is to facilitate access to water of drinking water quality in each household regardless of water source.

The EWB-ATL team traveled to Ecuador in April 2018 to assess the drinking water conditions in Cerro Verde and establish a partnership with the community and EIA. The primary focus of this trip was to collect data to better understand the community’s water supply challenges. Household surveys highlighted that the majority of the community has difficulty obtaining clean drinking water regularly. Water quality is a daily concern for Cerro Verde residents and is difficult to control due to the multiple sources of water and various pathways of contamination.

After the assessment trip, EWB-ATL established a clear goal for the first project of the Cerro Verde Program:

To implement an in-home water treatment system for each household that allows for purification of drinking water regardless of the source.

Since the assessment trip, the chapter has worked hard to develop and analyze potential design alternatives to meet this goal. In-home biosand filters were determined to be the most appropriate solution thanks to their low cost, simple upkeep, local availability of materials, and proven effectiveness for rural water filtration.

EWB-ATL and EIA have since partnered with the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST), leaders in biosand filtration, to offer expert input into the design and implementation process. EWB-ATL has developed full-scale prototypes of the filters for local testing prior to implementation with great success. The chapter is gearing up for the project’s implementation trip and is excited to help Cerro Verde finally get access to clean drinking water!

The EWB Atlanta team achieved critical milestones despite the restrictions and limitations imposed by COVID-19. Unfortunately, the Pre-Implementation trip was canceled due to COVID-19; however, in response to this, the team deployed a remote implementation plan. After our team finalized a filter design, our NGO partner, Engineers in Action (EIA), constructed a biosand filter to learn how to build it and use it. Then EIA implemented our team’s design by constructing five filters for five Cerro Verde households. These five filters serve approximately nine families and are being monitored for design feedback. Our team will use the feedback obtained to optimize the filter’s design as we continue our implementation plan. Additionally, EIA has been collaborating with the local municipality of Rocafuerte on the next steps of tapping into a water line that serves the surrounding regions. This access point would facilitate a water distribution system for Cerro Verde households.  With the progress made by the EWB Atlanta team and EIA, Cerro Verde is one step closer to clean water security!

Current Program Update

In late August and early September, EIA continued the remote implementation plan. This resulted in Cerro Verde having over 40 biosand filters! With the current success, the community’s organization was strong, their participation in the workshops was high, and this has empowered Cerro Verde!

Next Steps

  • Remote Implementation Plan

  • Testing and Monitoring

  • Development of a long-term solution to Cerro Verde’s water supply challenges

Program Progress

The EWB Ecuador in-country office serves as our partner on our projects with Cerro Verde. In this photo, Felipe Velasquez (Engineer with EWB Ecuador) is describing the biosand filters to Cerro Verde residents.

Don Carlos is a Cerro Verde leader and one of the project main points of contact.

Felipe Vasquez is a Project Engineer with the EWB Ecuador in country office. Here he is demonstrating the biosand filter construction.