• Our area of operations in the Dominican Republic.
  • The Problem—local residents get their water the same way their cattle did, direct from the stream, also having to carry it back.
  • Imagine spending part of your day traveling to procure a basic necessity of life—water.
  • The site chosen on the hill above Cabeza de Toro for the water storage tank.
  • The tank gets finishing touches. The next step is the installation of the water pump and water distribution piping, then comes the chlorination system.
  • The work in progress on the Machete water tank
  • The trenching for the piping is dug side by side with the local residents.
  • Everyone wants to help. Here you can see why roads were discussed also.
  • The Cabeza de Toro water distribution system begins to take shape.
  • INDENOR, our in-country engineering NGO partner, is supervising the engineering aspects of the project and the personnel doing the on-site work.
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PROJECT BACKGROUND

For decades the communities of Machete and Cabeza de Toro depended on the production of peanuts as their main product and source of income. In the early 1970s, the communities began producing blonde Tobacco with E. León Jimenes Company. Throughout the 80s, Tobacco became the main product and primary source of income until the early 2000s. Subsequently, the company E. León Jimenes was removed, and the land devoted to the production of Tobacco became a land dedicated to pasture and grass cutting for cattle.

At present, the main product of the Machete and Cabeza de Toro communities is milk since this product is marketable and ensures the livelihood of each family. 

Community feedback is that water is their number one priority. Additional priorities are electricity service, pathway (road) repairs, and sanitation. From the community’s perspective, the primary goals of the program are:


  1. Community population growth
  2. Reopening the school for the education of the children
  3. Prevent further emigration so that the families can return to living more sustainably in these communities
PROJECT DESCRIPTION & PROGRESS

Our EWB-LVP Chapter team travelled to Machete and Cabeza de Toro in 2015 to assess the topography and water sources after the community leaders showed a clear desire to join in a partnership with EWB, signed the Project Partnership Agreement and raised their 5% of the capital for the first phase (Cabeza de Toro well and storage system).We created plans for a water system including wells, elevated water storage with a distribution network for each of the two communities. 

Meetings were conducted with the community to determine their interest and willingness to work with EWB-LVP. Discussions with the community continued during the application process.

The main goal of the current project is to provide a water distribution system that households are able to connect to and use for household operations, along with small garden/farming operations. These communities have a large farming industry, but these farms will be unable to be operated from the yield coming from the proposed system. We are proposing to install two water supply and distribution systems -- one for each community -- to support some household gardening and farming along with regular, daily household uses such as cleaning, cooking and sanitation.

Phase one is now complete with the Cabeza de Toro water system (well, storage, and piping) fully operational and providing water to the community. The Machete water storage tank system is also now built. Piping in Machete and adding the chlorination systems to both units is now also complete. Watch a five minute video of the construction of the water distribution pad, shot in 2019.


THE WATER BEGINS TO FLOW

Pastor Eddy, our liaison to the communities, gets the first water from the Cabeza de Toro system in November 2019. The water distribution system in Cabeza de Toro is completed and supplying water to the community.

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Pabel is the community member who has been entrusted with operating the CDT water distribution system. Every morning without fail, Pabel rides up to the water tank on the top of the hill to take measurements and sets the pump to run for the day. Over 1 million gallons have been pumped now. Pabel is the future of these Dominican Communities. Pabel is now studying chemistry and says he wants to go into medicine. We think he would also make a great engineer if he chooses. 

Electrical controls for the Cabeza de Toro water system. This picture is at the Distribution Pad. The blue tank is a 20 minute retention tank to give chlorine adequate contact time for water disinfection before it is pumped to the distribution piping for consumption.

COVID-19 IMPACT & WORKAROUNDS

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Lehigh Valley Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders has been remotely managing the completion of the Cabeza de Toro water distribution system and is working on the Machete portion of the project. INDENOR, our in-country engineering NGO partner, is supervising the engineering aspects of the project and the personnel doing the on-site work. They are also purchasing project materials in-country using funds from EWB-LVP’s account. To guide their work product, EWB-LVP has provided INDENOR with a detailed list of work steps.

CURRENT STATUS
  1. Electricity provided to Cabeza de Toro and Machete
     
  2. Machete: Well drilled and 10,000 gallon tank built. Electricity has been connected to control panel, piping to be run to homes & chlorine disinfection system is now up an running.

  3. Cabeza de Toro: Water distribution system providing water to community. Chlorine disinfection system are now installed.

Families like this one are now beginning to enjoy what we all take for granted—clean, safe water to drink, electricity, the basic infrastructure to grow and to thrive.
WE NEED YOUR HELP

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Lehigh Valley Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders was severely challenged, as most of us have been. We have carried on with the project virtually, as has been the case with so many things. Our volunteers were not able to travel, and more importantly, the fundraising to do this work has also suffered. We are back in the Dominican Republic now and there is still work to do. Would you consider a personal donation, or would you ask your employer? Without help from generous-minded people like you, the work grinds to a halt.


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