Document 527

PROGRAM CLOSEOUT REPORT

CHAPTER: Rice University

COUNTRY: Mexico
COMMUNITY: Piedritas

PREPARED BY
Matthew Stearns

Submittal Date

ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS-USA

Document 527 – Program Closeout Report
Rice University
Piedritas, Mexico
Water Distribution and Purification

www.ewb-usa.org

1.0 Program Background

In February 2004, the Rice University team traveled to Piedritas, Mexico to assess
the needs of the community. The team was able to talk with the community to identify
priorities of needs in the community. The community lacked clean drinking water, a
reliable pump and distribution header, and a sanitation system at the local school. In order
to address the issue of clean drinking water, the team worked with the community to
identify bio-sand filters as the most sustainable option for the community to purify the
water.
The community also expressed a need for a new distribution header and pump
system for their water tank, which the team fixed in May 2004. The team traveled to the
community and installed a new solar-powered pump system in place of the existing
pump, which had stopped working just days before the team reached the site. The team
also installed a new PVC distribution header that made it much more convenient for the
community to hook up their houses to the distribution lines.
In March 2006, the team returned to the site to implement the first of multiple bio-
sand filters in the community. The team constructed a pilot filter for use in the school,
and instructed the teacher on proper cleaning and maintenance of the filter. The team
returned in October 2006 to monitor the success of the filter to find that the project
lowered the amount of contamination in the water substantially. This success motivated
the team to return to the community in March 2007 to implement additional filters in the
community, this time supplying the community with two metal forms with which to build
their own filters after the team departed. The team worked with the community to educate
members on the proper design and construction of the filters, while constructing two
filters on the trip.
An additional need that was expressed by the community was a sanitation system
at the local school, where the children had poor methods of washing their hands. The
team decided to install two sink systems in the school restrooms to enable the children
easy access to water for hand washing. This new system was accompanied by a lesson on
hand washing and sanitation to educate the children on proper practices to ensure better
health in the community.
In March 2008, the team returned to the site one year after the last implementation
to check up on the projects that were implemented. The team reinforced the health
campaign that was implemented in 2007 and made sure that the community still had all
the educational materials on bio-sand filter construction and maintenance. The team also
assessed the sink system at the school and found it to be in good working order.

© 2009 Engineers Without Borders – USA. All Rights Reserved Page 2 of 6

Document 527 – Program Closeout Report
Rice University
Piedritas, Mexico
Water Distribution and Purification

2.0 Travel History

Dates of Travel Assessment/Implementation/Monitorin Description of Trip
g
February 2004 Assessment Survey of the community
to identify needs
May 2004 Implementation Installation of solar pump
and expansion of
distribution system
March 2005 Assessment Community health
surveys
March 2006 Implementation Construction of a bio-sand
filter
October 2006 Assessment More extensive
community water testing
March 2007 Implementation Construction of bio-sand
filters and sinks in the
school bathrooms. Health
education campaign.
March 2008 Post-Assessment Assessment of
implemented projects and
determination of project
success and sustainability

3.0 Description of Implemented Projects

Description of Project Start Final Day of Date of Last State of
Project Date Implementatio Monitoring Infrastructure
n Trip
New pump, more solar February 2004 May 16, 2004 March 2008 Problematic
panels, and distribution
header with 12 spouts
Bio-sand filter March 2005 March 15, 2006 March 2008 Operating effectively
Piping system to storage October 2006 March 12, 2007 March 2008 Operating effectively
tank with 2 sinks in
school restroom

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 Document 527 – Program Closeout Report
Rice University
Piedritas, Mexico
Water Distribution and Purification

3.1 Additional Information

The exact reasons for the problems experienced with the solar pump are currently
unknown, but are likely due to a small problem with the wiring of the system or the
battery for the solar panel. The government is installing an entirely new system in the
community that will render this system unnecessary. The other systems are in good
operating condition and are achieving the desired results.

4.0 Reason for Closing Program

The Rice University chapter is closing the program because the commitments to the
community have been fulfilled. The initial needs of the community were found to be
water access and water quality. The issue of water access has been addressed with the
implementation of the pump and distribution header. The problem of water quality was
solved by the implementation of the bio-sand filters and sanitation campaign. Since these
projects have fulfilled the commitment to the community and the projects are still
operational and owned by the community, the program is ready to be closed out.

5.0 Community Ownership

The community now has a water board that oversees the projects that were
implemented in the community. They are responsible for the construction of additional
bio-sand filters, maintenance of existing filters, and upkeep of the solar pump system and
sink system. The members of the water board have been provided with documentation
that outlines the proper construction and maintenance of the bio-sand filters. They have
also been provided with the materials from the health and sanitation campaign so that
they can continue to ensure that those proper practices are being employed.

5.1 Transfer of Technical Skills/Information

In order to transfer the educational information to members of the community, the
team went house to house to go through a pamphlet on the proper care and maintenance
of their bio-sand filter system. The brochure was then left with the member of the
household, which was usually an elderly woman, likely the main user of the system.
These same procedures were carried out again for reinforcement on the March 2008 trip.

© 2009 Engineers Without Borders – USA. All Rights Reserved Page 4 of 6

 Document 527 – Program Closeout Report
Rice University
Piedritas, Mexico
Water Distribution and Purification

The team returned to each house to ensure that proper caretaking practices were being
employed, with positive results observed at each house.

5.2 Transfer of Non-Technical Information

The team ran a health training session for the children in the community which
consisted of a series of posters that were displayed in the bathroom of the school and the
school itself, covering proper sanitation and hand washing techniques. The team also
used the “glo-germ” gel, which is visible under UV light to simulate germs on the hands
of the children, which they would then wash off their hands using proper hand washing
techniques. These same procedures were carried out again for reinforcement on the
March 2008 trip.

5.3 Financial Mechanisms

The systems implemented have very few financial needs for upkeep, but the water board
in the community has taken responsibility for the raising of funds to upkeep the systems
put in place. The board will oversee the construction of new filters and any collection of
funds necessary to do so.

6.0 Measures of Success

The team assessed the success of the project on the March 2008 trip, when the team was
able to witness the proper use and maintenance of the bio-sand filters in the community
according to the practices outlined on the March 2007 trip. The team also witnessed
usage of the sink system in the school, indicating success of that project. The
effectiveness of the bio-sand filters was analyzed on the October 2006 trip, and the data
from that assessment is summarized in the table below.

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 Document 527 – Program Closeout Report
Rice University
Piedritas, Mexico
Water Distribution and Purification

7.0 NGO Information

Contact Name Contact Email Contact Phone # (with
country code)
Jaime Bueno Zertuche jbueno@conafe.edu.mx 011 (52) 84 4414 7389
Daniel Melendez Vazquez del tuga777@hotmail.com 011 (52) 81 8349 2253
Mercado

7.1 Additional Information

Daniel Melendez and Mike Higuera met with Jaime in Sep. 2003 to talk about the
possibilities of doing an EWB project in northern Coahuila. He was supportive of the
idea and is available to help with networking. He has an engineering degree from Tec
and founded CARE Misiones when he was there.
Daniel Melendez Vazquez del Mercado is a graduating senior from Tec
Mech/Elec Engineering program. Original contact with him was though CARE Misiones,
Jonny Ramirez, and San Miguel. Worked with Rice student team when he studies abroad
at Rice in Fall '03 and still wants to be involved in project.

8.0 Educational/Training Materials

Documents attached:

Adult_Sanitation_brochure.ppt
BioSand Filter Construction (English).pdf
BioSand Filter Specifications (English).pdf
Biosand_Filter_Usage_Guidelines.doc
Child sanitation.ppt
How_to_clean_biosand_filter_revised_02_03_07.doc
Materials for BioSand filter.xls
Mexico Report April 2008.doc
Poster_FINAL.doc
Wash hands_FINAL.doc
Wooden Form Construction.doc

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