Location
Quebrada Grande de Nandayure, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Community Description
Quebrada Grande de Nandayure is a small, isolated, rural community located in a mountainous area of the Nicoya Peninsula in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. The town has a population of 140, the majority of whom work in the agriculture of oranges and coffee.
Unemployment is rampant in the area, with only 80% of the population having fixed employment. Investors have purchased land with an ocean view in the community with the intent of constructing a tourist center once the infrastructure (aqueduct and road) is improved.
Water for the community is collected from the river using an aqueduct that reaches a point approximately 400 m from and 75 m above the town. At this point, the water enters a tube (literally an open tube that is submerged in the river) and then passes about 100 m through the tubes to a water tank. The water is collected in the tank and then passes through a “filter”, which would be more accurately described as a piece of chicken-wire. From there, the tubes descend to the town, where they then follow the path of the road to deliver water to approximately 50 homes, spread out over 1.5 km.
Currently, the aqueduct tubes capture the water from an unclean part of the river where dirt is easily stirred up when it rains, causing the water to come out dirty until the rain stops and the dirt settles. During the rainy season, it can rain for 2 or 3 weeks straight.
Project Description
This project is to repair and upgrade the aqueduct in Quebrada Grande de Nandayure.
The project is an integral part of a larger project to improve the town’s aqueduct. The project consists of:
- Purchasing and installing tubes to extend the aqueduct to a clean spring,
- creating a concrete structure to cover the point where the tube enters the spring, and
- purchasing a new filtering system.
Project funds will be used to purchase tubes for the aqueduct so that it may be extended to a spring where the water is clean.
The Asociacion de Desarrollo Integral de Quebrada Grande y San Bosco will be responsible for the purchase and transport of the tubes. It has already purchased the materials for step 2, and has funds allocated for step 3.
Community members will provide the labor to connect and bury the tubes. A community member is currently employed as the aqueduct caretaker and he will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the tubes.
Project Impact
The entire community of 140 people will benefit from the project
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Austin Slaughter
Comments
This is a vital infrastructure project for this community. It has tremendous community support in its planning, implementation, and financial commitment, with sustainability built into the project.
Dollar Amount of Project
$437.87
Donations Collected to Date
$437.87
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded through the generosity of the Elmo Foundation.
The PCV reports that he was the victim of a robbery, and the funds were taken. Water Charity staff has stepped in to absorb the loss.
The project was completed by the community without Water Charity funds.
The funds from the Elmo Foundation previously directed for this project have been re-allocated to the Filters for Life Program – Worldwide.