El Guayabal Story:
Hope of individual access to clean water soared as the digging of the primary trench inched its way down the main road. The dream of a water distribution system – water at individual homes as opposed to a central pump location – was finally coming to reality and would allow residents to have running water on their property. Soon bright white PVC pipe lined the trench to create a path for water. Families joined together to dig trenches from the main line to their individual property as they decided where to locate the family spigot. The pump was set, the connection from the pump to the main line complete, and the residents anticipated the taste of clean water flowing to their property. All hope came to a stunning halt as the well could not produce sufficient water to fill the piped distribution system.
Simply Water & their supporters partnered with SUNA to create a sustainable solution by drilling a new 300 foot well. By going this deep, the well reached access a higher water flow to enable more gallons per minute to be pumped. Using an electric submersible pump, water filled a storage tank that sits on top of a tower and connects to the existing pvc pipe distribution system. As water is released from the tower, gravity pushes the water out through the distribution system to individual homes.
At completion, the Community Water Committee began to oversee collection of funds to pay for the electricity to operate the pump and will manage the water allocation to each resident moving forward!
In Nicaragua, on average it costs $40 per person in a community to bring fresh clean water. This community has 307 amazing people who are excited to have received the gift of a clean and safe source of water.