Deiz De Abril, Bolivia
Team Lead: Britt Smith (acvgb@mst.edu)
Diez de Abril is a community in the San Lorenzo municipality of Tarija, located in the mountains of southern Bolivia. It currently is home to about 350 people consisting of around 50 households. The community is currently without a potable water source, electricity, or wastewater service and is experiencing extreme erosion issues. Many of them receive water from the San Lorenzo Municipality which brings in free water on Mondays and Fridays. The water is placed in old asphalt barrels and is left to sit outside. Within a few days the water in the barrels turn yellow and the community told EWB-S&T that they believe the water causes a variety of health issues. This water is usually supplemented by rain, river and lagoon water which is often used for washing and bathing. Those families that are financially able also buy water from the nearby city to drink. EWB-S&T is working eelentlessly to bring clean water to this community.
Sam Bryant-Trip from Summer of 2018
Recent Updates
The Diez de Abril team is hoping to travel this summer and implement the supply and distribution system after not being able to travel this past January due to the bad weather in Bolivia and safety concerns within the government. The team has been working on distribution report and have also added a new subteam and started a new project for the community for the Spring 2020 semester. It has been observed previously that open defecation is not uncommon in the community and more and more houses are getting latrines in their homes. The team will work with the community to educate them about the best ways to dispose of their waste, so it does not leach into the groundwater and contaminate the aquifer. The work is in very early stages of the project but are looking forward to working with the community of Diez de Abril and changing their lives for the better.