We are overjoyed to report that the Turn On The Water project resumed about two weeks ago. It was in 2018, during a political uprising, that many of you participated in funding this project that will bring access to clean, running water to about 2000 people living in 5 costal villages near our home.
We broke ground about a year ago, in September 2019, and the locals were going strong hand digging the over 15 kilometers of trench necessary to put in a brand new pipe system. The end was in sight and then the global pandemic hit and work ground to a halt in April.
With the leadership of SuNica, the community is now back to work with social distancing protocols in place. The next time you want to complain about wearing a mask, imagine these folks digging through rocky terrain with a mask on in ninety degree heat with eighty percent humidity. Last week the water team completed a brand new well capable of producing abundant water for the new system. If all goes well, the project should be completed before the end of the year.
After a pump test, the first new well didn't produce enough water. Honestly it was a bit disheartening. It turned out that the same generous farmer had additional land closer to the river. The well that didn't produce enough water for our project produces plenty of water to irrigate his crops. He received the first well in exchange for the parcel of land shown here. The new well has been tested and will produce plenty of clean water for years to come.