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Our objective for this project is to provide potable water to all households, schools, and churches in the community of Juticalpa in the Municipality of Santos Guardiola in the Bay Islands of Honduras. We are going to drill a new water well, install a solar powered pump system, and build a water distribution system and connect 150 homes and 750 residents to the water system. Every resident of Juticalpa will benefit from having a reliable source of water with a distribution system to 100% of the homes in the community. We will be able to utilize some existing water infrastructure including a 15,000 gallon concrete water tank that has never been put into service. The residents of Julticalpa have agreed to provide much of the labor to trench in new water lines or
replace existing water lines to bring water from the water storage tanks. We will provide comprehensive WASH training to ensure that the Water Board can operate and maintain the new system, protect the existing water source, collect and manage fees, and develop a financial plan to sustain the water system into the future. We will
provide WASH training in the community and the schools to ensure children and parents are aware of the benefits of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene practices.
Access to a reliable source of water is the top priority for this community. There is an existing well in the community that is slow to recharge and it is located adjacent to the cemetery. Currently, water is only available to the community one day every three weeks in the summer months and one day every two weeks in the rainy season. The community currently has to have water brought in by tanker trucks to meet its needs.
Our project team identified these needs through the use of multiple Community Assessment tools. A community survey was completed in March 2021. A follow-up survey was completed in August 2021. A focus group was held with the Village Council and the community Water Board along with members of the Rotary Club of Roatan. A community mapping exercise was also completed.
A key element ensuring the sustainability of this project is building the skills of the local community to enable them to operate and maintain the new well and water distribution system for years to come. Our Honduran trainer has already spent over 8 months working with the Rotary Club of Roatan on other water projects and he uses a 22-module WASH training system developed in partnership with the government of Honduras.
This trainer has agreed to travel to Juticalpa and live within the community while providing WASH training, construction management and oversight, and train the water board. The water board has been selected and legally recognized by the municipality of Santos Guardiola.
The training includes skills in plumbing, running meetings, bookkeeping, collecting fees, financial planning, transparency, watershed protection, and protecting purchased materials. Training will follow best practices in Honduras as well as Honduran water laws. The community members including teachers, students, parents, and others will learn basics in hygiene and sanitation through the WASH training program.
A well managed and functional Water Board is a key component of sustainability for this project. This water board will be responsible for managing, maintaining, and operating the groundwater wells, pumps, power equipment, solar system, distribution, and filtration equipment. We will also be working with the local plumbers who have been selected by the water board to make sure that they are fully engaged in the training
process and understand exactly how everything works.
A written operations and maintenance manual will be will be developed for the water board following their extensive training.
We are seeking Rotary Club partners and Rotary District DDF funding pledges for this project. There will be opportunities for hands-on work in Honduras for those who might be interested in travel.
Project funds will be submitted through The Rotary Foundation and funds will be used to drill a well, install a solar system and pump, clean and repair an existing 15,000 gallon water storage tank, build a new PVC water distribution system, and provide WASH training to the community including training the Water Board for long term success and sustainability.
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