Rice University Engineers Without Borders

Project Locations:

Bernardino Diaz Ochoa - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua (previous community)

Pueblo Nuevo del Sur - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua (current community)

Bernardino Diaz Ochoa Project Highlights:

December 2005: Installed a solar panel to light community church. Each fixture provides four to five hours of light.
August 2006: Implemented three large water purifcation and distribution systems: rainwater catchment, well pump with biosand filtration and personal ceramic filters.
March 2007: Poured the foundation for a rural health clinic to serve 5 neighboring communities (over 600 people)
May 2007: Spent 5 weeks constructing a green health clinic using strawbales and solar energy. Partnered with local NGOs and created a community organization to oversee clinic operations.
December 2007: Returned to help community finish construction. Assisted communities in forming oversight committee to maintain clinic. Participated in clinic opening activities.

Upcoming Pueblo Nuevo Project Highlights:

December 2007: Exploratory trip to Pueblo Nuevo. Conducted preliminary surveying and testing to determine necessity and viability of a potential water project.
May 2008: Continue assessment of community and new well.
December 2008: Begin implementation with installation of pipe, pump, renewable energy and tank systems.
May 2009: Continue implementation. Finalize water system project and assess for a water purification project in the same community.

Completed Bernardino Diaz Ochoa Project Summary:

In March 2005, a group of engineering students travelled to Nicaragua and began an ongoing relationship with the community of Bernardino Diaz Ochoa.. Initially the members of the community expressed their interest in being aided in the construction of a health center, expansion of their small school, and electricity for community buildings.

In subsequent trips students designed and implemented solar powered lighting, a rainwater catchment system, a rope well pump as well as community level biosand and family level ceramic water filtration. We combined these projects with detailed health assessments in order to measure the impact of the systems. Six months after installing the water filtration systems we did follow-up surveys and were able to document dramatic decreases in diarrhea and other water borne illnesses, especially in young children.

To expand our impact to surrounding communities, we worked with Bernardino and the 4 surrounding communities to build a 1000 square foot health clinic that will serve over 600 people. Collaborating with professional engineers and architects in the US and Nicaragua, our team designed an innovative green building using strawbale walls, passing cooling, solar power and running water.

In May 2007, a team of 8 students began construction on the clinic with a focus on using local knowledge and resources. We worked with the communities to donate local trees for construction, used bamboo (an abundant local resource) for nonstructural components and plastered the walls with adobe stucco. Adobe stucco, while a very technical process, was widely known in the community and they possessed all the skills required to implement and maintain it. We managed to complete most of the construction during our 5-week trip, transitioned clinic leadership to community leaders before returning to the US and have remained in close contact with them to monitor progress.

Upcoming Pueblo Nuevo Project Summary:

In January 2008, a group of Rice University students made contact with the farming community of Pueblo Nuevo del Sur, Nicaragua. Community members voiced concerns about a lack of resources in their community, including clean water and electricity. After talking with the San Juan del Sur regional government, a collaboration was forged between the government, Pueblo Nuevo, and the student team to implement a water supply system to the people of Pueblo Nuevo.

Pueblo Nuevo is a rural community in the hills of southern Nicaragua. Its remoteness means that grid electricity has not been feasible in the area. An area electricity company has agreed to put Pueblo Nuevo on the grid, if at least 50% of community members relocate to a central area designated by the government. Relocated families would require a reliable source of water near their new homes, but current water sources near the area are contaminated with human and animal runoff. To combat this problem, the government will be building a new well at a location with a relatively uncontaminated water source. Rice-EWB students will then design and build a piping, pump, and tank system for the well. A solar energy system will also be built to provide electricity to power the pump before grid electricity becomes available.

The design challenge lies in the position of the well relative to the center of the community. The well location, chosen because it is a relatively uncontaminated source of water, is at the base of a steep hill, on top of which will be the tank system. The height from the well to the future tank site is approximately 70 meters. Once the piping, pump and tank system have been put in place, the government has made tentative plans to implement a water distribution system to bring water into people's homes.

The team plans to visit Pueblo Nuevo in May 2008 to begin implementation of the tank, rainwater catchment, and solar energy systems. Other phases of the project will be implemented in subsequent trips. Students will work closely with the community to devise plans for maintaining the water system and ensuring that the community will have a clean, convenient source of water for years to come.

EmailAmy Liu orMatt Wesley to request more information or to find out how to get involved.

Project Leaders: Amy Liu, Matt Wesley