Honduras Prjocet
Valle Bonito - Completed Project
Valle Bonito (approx. pop. 2,000) is a rural community located approximately two hours by car from the city of Comayagua in central Honduras.
Water sources within Valle Bonito were limited, and required improvement, as well as an additional water system to provide adequate water to the community. Due to the limited and untreated water supply, waterborne illnesses were common. Furthermore, the current supply was contaminated with pesticides, which further contributed to illness.
The project was divided in two phases: The first phase consisted of the rehabilitation of an existing system, followed by phase 2 which consisted of the expansion of the system to ensure that all communities have fair, safe and adequate access to household water.
System design and construction were will be closely tied to efforts to educate the community on sound water management, and the link between potable water, hygiene, and health effects. Together, Engineering and public health efforts to effectively reduced community exposure to pathogens and toxins to improve Valle Bonito’s inhabitants’ well-being.
San Antonio de la Libertad – Completed Project
San Antonio de la Libertad (approx. pop.800) is a rural community located about 2.5 hours from the city of Comayagua in central Honduras. Resources in San Antonio de la Libertad are very limited: the community has no electricity or water system.
Only a handful of homes have access to water, piped through many miles of hose, and none of the water used by households is treated. This has led to very high mortality rates from water borne pathogens and other illnesses. In the past year, 6 children under the age of one have died, and annually an estimated 2 women die giving child birth in their homes.
The need expressed in this community was the construction of a water system providing water from a creek in the highlands above the community. Through a partnership with the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade, the land containing the water source was acquired to act as the starting point for creation of San Antonio de la Libertad’s water system.
EWB-DC completed a technical assessment and preliminary design for the water system which was later handed over to local engineers. Recognizing the explicit link between potable water, hygienic practices and improved health outcomes, the project team assessed the public health need within the community aims to reduce the community’s health burdens associated with the present exposure to pathogens and toxins.
