Project Overview
After years of working on a solution to the nearby community of Granadilla’s water problems, Global Brigades was finally able to support them with a water system finished in 2015. This system provides clean water to over 475 beneficiaries.
Granadilla, Honduras
In Granadilla, a community only a short 20 minutes from volunteer lodging facilities, Global Brigades had worked for years looking for a solution to their dire water problem. The community did not have a water system delivering running water to the homes in the community. Community members accessed water from two shallow wells with hand pumps in the community. They utilized a small stream that runs through the community for washing clothes, bathing, and domestic needs. Some families lived relatively close to the spring and stream, while others walked significant distances to carry water back to their homes.
Since water was pumped directly out of the wells and there was no central water storage or distribution system, Granadilla was unable to centrally and consistently treat their water. Thus, families were typically using contaminated water and may not have been treating their water in their homes. This untreated water was a root cause of many of the health concerns of the community members. There was a Water Council in Granadilla consisting of seven members. The council was responsible for monitoring and maintenance of the wells and hand pumps.
Water System Solution
In July 2015, the community members signed an agreement with GB to construct a water system. In addition, a Basic Sanitation Committee and two maintenance people were trained in the community. Water quality tests determined that a local spring was a viable source of water, and a pump could be installed. The pump sends the water through a conduction pipeline from the well to an elevated storage tank. This tank serves not only for water storage but also for water treatment. Water is sent to homes by gravity through the distribution network, constructed collaboratively among Global Brigades technicians, Global Brigades volunteers, and local community members. Faucets are installed in each home, providing easy access to clean drinking water for the first time in Granadilla. Water system consruction was completed in late 2015.
Water Project Stages
All stages of this water project have been completed.