Bolivia, Lake Roja Aguada 2009

Name of project: Rojoaguado Lake – Coquinal Water System Project

Location: An island on Rojoaguado Lake, Santa Ana de Yacuma province, North Bolivia, South America.

Project supporter: Hayes and Jarvis

Challenge:The villagers use the lake for drinking water, washing and cleaning. The algae, mineral deposits and other pollutants in the water that they use make it responsible for the majority of the deaths in the community.
They had an eight-metre water tower with a 2,000-litre tank with a solar panel which didn’t work and which was close to a septic tank which polluted the water. There was an additional tower, this time of seven metres, with a 1,000-litre tank and no solar panel to power it.

What we did: We built four wells using the AYNI technique of manual drilling which has a proven record of success in Bolivia.
This was seen as better than trying to fix and re-use the water towers including installing pumps and new solar panels because of the cost of the materials and transporting them to the site.

Achievements: We provided buckets, gloves, chlorine tablets and other kit to purify the water and trained the local community in how to use them.

Beneficiaries:  Seventy families totalling 500 people, including 294 children.

Finish date: December 2009