#Course in UNAH
#Operator Training Workshop
#Meeting with Humberto Puerto
#Atima
#Jacaleapa, El Paraiso
#Siguatepeque
#Tamara
Course in UNAH
Monday 6.15 we met with Roger Ham, the director of the mechanical engineering lab at the National University, about the AguaClara course that will start Friday 6.26.
Operator Training Workshop
Tuesday 6.16 operators from all of the AguaClara plants and members of the organizations that administrate the plants met in the Cuatro Comunidades for a workshop. The workshop included review of technical concepts, discussion among the operators, and a practical portion in the Cuatro Comunidades plant. There was also a discussion among the operators and administrators about forming an association of communities with plants. This association could provide technical support to the operators.
Meeting with Humberto Puerto
After the operator training workshop there was a meeting at the APP office between Monroe, APP and Humberto Puerto, director of RRASCA (Central American Water and Sanitation Network), to discuss spreading the AguaClara technology to other countries in Central America. We agreed upon a strategy including:
-Promotional materials elaborated by APP and distributed by the RASCA
-APP / AguaClara personnel visiting multiple Central American countries in October to present at celebrations of Inter-American Water Day
-Inviting interested Central American organizations to Honduras to see the AguaClara plants
-APP / AguaClara personnel presenting at the AIDIS conference November in Guatemala
Atima
Thursday 6.18 we submitted the proposal for an AguaClara plant in Atima, Santa Barbara to the Japanese Embassy. The mayor of Atima was in Tegucigalpa so was able to come to the embassy to submit the proposal as well. The director of projects at the embassy said that they would review the proposal and come to Atima for a visit. If the project is approved by the Japanese ambassador here in Honduras it will be sent to Japan for approval. The entire process would take about 4 to 6 months.
Jacaleapa, El Paraiso
Thursday 6.18, Tamar and Wil traveled to Jacaleapa, El Paraiso to investigate the possibility of a plant there. A SANAA engineer who participated in Monroe's course had suggested that Jacaleapa would be a good site for a plant. The community currently receives water from three wells and a river that is turbid in the rainy season. During the rainy season the community uses only the wells, since the river water is too turbid to treat with chlorine. During the dry season they use a mix of water from the wells and the river, since the dry-season flow in the river is not sufficient for the community's demand.
The mayor was very interested in the AguaClara plant and says he has funds available to contribute to the project.
Siguatepeque
Wednesday 6.17 Dan traveled to Siguatepeque with Dr. Mirna Argueta to receive instruction in laboratory methods that he will use for water analysis as part of his validation study. While there he met someone from the organization that is administrating the water system there. Siguatepeque receives water from three different sources, one of which produces 100 gallons per minute, has problems with turbidity, and is currently not being treated. They were interested in an AguaClara plant. Dan and Antonio will visit Siguatepeque Wednesday 6.24 to provide information about AguaClara and investigate the situation.
Tamara
Friday 6.19 we met a class of environmental engineering students from UNITEC, a private Tegucigalpa engineering university, to show them the Tamara plant. Unfortunately, the operator was having trouble getting the plant to flocculate, so they were not able to see it in action.