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8/3/2019 Point of Use Water Purification and Energy Generation for the Community of Rancho al Medio, Dominican Republic

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Point of Use Water Purification and

Energy Generation for the Community of

Rancho al Medio, Dominican Republic

Final Report

March 21, 2007

Prepared forUniversity of Michigan College of Engineering

Prepared byBLUElab DR Project Team

Ivan Goenawan

Manuel HernandezGenevieve Lampinen

Evan LoweBinoy PhilipDavid Stile

Maria Xiang


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Report Outline

I) Executive SummaryII) Introduction

(A) Problem Identification(B) Stakeholder Identification(C) Project Background

III) Methods(A) Water Purification Projects(B) Energy Generation Projects(C) Education Projects

IV) IndicatorsV) ResultsVI) Discussion (Lessons Learned)

VII) Conclusion (Project hand-off)VIII) ReferencesIX) Appendix

(A) Roles and Responsibilities of Team Members(B) Project Community Partner(C) Qualitative Testing on Drinking Water Samples(D) Workshop Presentation for RaM(E) Maintenance and Installation of Biosand Filter


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I) Executive Summary

Rancho al Medio is a small, underprivileged community in the Dominican Republic locatedsouthwest its capital, Santo Domingo. This community faces many problems such asunreliable drinking water, unsafe water storage issues, and no effective household water

filtration processes. The communitys population is approximately 1500 and only 52% ofthe community is employed. Of this 52% only 5% have fixed work and their monthly wageis is less than $100. Therefore, it is important that the solutions to their water issues beaffordable and effective in order to accommodate this community.

Over the past three years, members of Better Living Using Engineering Lab (BLUELab)have traveled to the village of Rancho al Medio in the Dominican Republic and identifiedthe need for clean water and a list of possible solutions. The urgent need for clean waterwas emphasized in every needs assessment that our collaborator, Health in Action,performed. Last year, BLUELab performed water quality tests of the major water resourcesfor the village. All sites were on or below the borderline for potable water. There are no

filtering devices available in the village. A small percentage of the villagers boil theirwater, but fuel is scarce and most households save the fuel for cooking. Approximately athird of the villagers currently use chlorination to treat the water. Although chlorinationeffectively kills microorganisms, it is ineffective against parasites. This past year, medicalstudents from Health in Action reported that most water-bourn illnesses within thecommunity were caused by parasites. A safe and reliable source of electricity is anotherurgent need of the community. Many households use hand-made devices to tap into powerlines for free electricity. Such a method is extremely dangerous. Just in a small sample ofthe community, we were able to identify four families that had lost husbands throughelectrocution while fixing power lines.

In February 2007, BLUELab implemented a donated Biosand Filtration System to serve asa pilot filter, a potential sustainable solution to the need for clean water. As a short termsolution to the communitys water problem, 8 dual bucket water filter systems wereconstructed from kits and materials left in the school, and tested to verify theireffectiveness. During the summer portion of this project, we aim to develop a metric forassessing the biosand filters and laying out the groundwork for a grant application toRotary International for the implementation of strategically placed Biosand Filters toprovide clean water for the entire community.

BLUELab brought a Pedal Powered Generator bike in February 2007. The bike ispotentially able to generate enough electrical energy to charge batteries and directly power

lights, radios, or a television. Although the bike was designed by an American (DavidButcher), we helped the teenagers and young men within the community to assemble it inthe village. The community members had all the tools necessary for the assembly and wereable to successfully assemble the bike. We then held a discussion during which thecommunity members laid out a plan for the future of this technological solution: theywould like to modify the Generator design and assemble it for more households. Theyhope to turn this opportunity into a business venture and provide similar solutions toneighboring communities and support themselves with a novel source of revenue.


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II) Introduction

(A) Problem IdentificationRancho al Medio (RaM) is a small, underprivileged community in the DominicanRepublic. It is located southwest of the capital, Santo Domingo. This community faces

many problems such as unreliable electricity, unreliable drinking water, unsafe waterstorage issues, and no effective household water filtration processes. The communityspopulation is approximately 1500 and only 52% of the community is employed. Of this52% only 5% have fixed work and their monthly wage is is less than $100. Therefore, it isimportant that the solutions to their water issues be affordable and effective in order toaccommodate this community. Major health complaints of RaM include: diarrhea,influenza, parasites, and conjunctivitis. It needs to be determined for the community ifthese health complaints could be a result of the poor quality of their drinking water. Thereis a great need, yet marked deficiency of health education and preventative health care.The public school suffers from poor sanitation, as there are no toilets, and the building isdeteriorating. Illiteracy is a major problem, as 85% and 90% of men and women,

respectively, are unable to read. Our goal is to assist the residents of Rancho al Medio totransform their struggling community into a self-sustaining healthy place to live and grow.

Another concern of RaM community members involves electricity. Few RaM households purchase electricity from Edesol, and this source has many voltage spikes. Most RaMhouseholds illegally tap power lines to obtain electricity. At least four RaM communitymembers have died while attempting to tap power lines in the past two years. RaMmembers would like a safe alternative to taping power lines to obtain electricity, in additionto gaining a more reliable and cost-effective electricity source. When available, electricityis used for television, lighting, radio, cellular phone charging, powering well pumps, soundsystems, and computers at the local stores that sell lottery tickets.

Access to educational resources such as computers or the internet are limited in RaM.There were two computers found in homes of RaM residents. Both homes had desktopcomputers with monitors. In one of the homes there was a joystick and zip drive, and inthe other speakers, and a printer. Although this technology makes its way to thecommunity in a few rare instances, the owners have a very limited knowledge about how touse these technologies. Additionally, internet is not readily accessible. The closestlocation in which internet can be accessed is in San Cristobal through the local telephonecompany Trikon. Many of the homes have telephones that operate through calling cards provided by this company. Some homes have antennas that allow them to make callsthrough Trikon, which cost approximately 1500 pesos per month. There is certainly an

interest to upgrade to new technologies within the community, but there is a lack ofeducational institutions to give them the assistance. Two additional computers were foundin the local stores that sell lottery tickets. They are able to maintain the systems when theelectricity is not functioning through the use of batteries, and an Inversol power inverter. Anetwork of some sort may be installed so that these computers may communicate with thecentral location of the corporation in charge of the sale of these lottery tickets.


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(B) Stakeholder IdentificationStakeholders shared a common interest in a specific project and could be affected by whatoccurred during the project. A stakeholder could be immediately affected by a specificsituation or they could be affected later by the outcome or result. Primary stakeholderswere personally affected by the drinking water or energy project in RaM, or had a vested

interest in the success of the projects.

Primary Water Purification Stakeholders: Women Leaders (e.g., Mercedes, Chi-Chi) Potential Experts (e.g., Chi-Chi, Keyla, Geceyna, Cairi, Angela Iris) Proyecto Las Americas (Donator of biosand filtration (BSF) system) Manos A Tiempo

1(Non-governmental organization, community partner)

Primary Pedal Powered Prime Mover2

(PPPM) Stakeholders: Technicians (e.g., Galvan) Electrician (e.g., Peligro)

Mechanic (e.g., Calcique) Potential Experts (e.g., Jaire, Papo, Charlie, Debbie, Amparo, Eduardo, Philip) David Butcher

3(PPPM inventor)

Manos A Tiempo

(C) Project BackgroundWater Purification. Over the past three years, members of Better Living Using Engineeringlaboratory (BLUElab) traveled to the village of RaM and identified the need for cleanwater, and a list of possible solutions. Clean water was one of the most urgent needs of thecommunity, as emphasized in need assessments that our collaborator, Health in Action,performed in 2005. Last year, BLUElab performed water quality tests of the major water

resources for the village. All sites were on or below the borderline for potable water.There are no community-wide water treatment systems available in the village. A small percentage of the villagers boiled their water, but fuel was scarce and most householdssaveed the fuel for cooking. Approximately, one third of the villagers used chlorination totreat the water. Although chlorination effectively killed microorganisms, it was ineffectiveagainst parasites. This past year, medical students from Health in Action reported thatmost water-borne illnesses within the community resulted from parasites. BLUElabaddressed the problems identified above, during this semester, by means of two types offilter technology Biosand Filtration and Dual-Bucket filter systems. Educationalworkshops, and follow-up water testing were used to complete the process.

Biosand Filtration. Biosand was a form of water filtration, which treated water in multipleways within a single unit. Biosand devices were comprised of a concrete box filled withsand and water. The process of filtering consisted of four primary steps. First the sandacted as a mechanical filter (similar to clay filters) and blocked larger sized impurities as

1Further information can be found in Appendix B

2 Pedal Powered Prime Mover [(PPPM) http://www.los-gatos.ca.us/davidbu/pedgen.html]3David Butcher created the PPPM and sells the manuals


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well as cysts and worms. Next, predation marked the consumption of bacteria and otherpathogens by micro-organisms that lived on a thin layer of water atop the sand. The thirdstep, involved the natural death of the infectious pathogens trapped in the sand due to a lackof food and unfavorable temperatures. In the final absorption stage, viruses attached to thegrains of sand and are deactivated by anti-viral chemicals produced by the organisms; some

organic compounds are also absorbed by the sand. Additional treatment could have beenadded for even better filtration. For example, a layer of nails could add iron, which wouldbond with arsenic and filtering it out.

Biosand filtration was an effective system that did not require replacement and upkeepcosts. The flow rate of the filter was one liter per minute which, was relatively fast. TheBiosand filters that we aim to implement are 100% effective against parasites and lasts forapproximately the lifetime of the user.

Our group has been in contact with Jim Bodenner since 2006. He was not only the ownerof the Biosand filter located closest to Ann Arbor, but he was also a major contributor to

Biosand projects implemented throughout the Dominican Republic. Along with Rotary,over $300,000 USD have been contributed and over 8,000 Biosand filters have been placedthroughout the Dominican in the last 24 months. Recently Bodenners company receivedthe exclusive patent rights for a plastic Biosand filter from the inventor of the original.This filter had facilitated mass-production capability compared to the concrete system..Plastic Biosand filters could have been a more practical option for RaM as they wereavailable at lowers costs, and were easier to transport. This year we were also in contactwith Bob Hildreth, director of Project Las Americas.

Water Testing. Fecal coliforms were bacteria that lived in the digestive tract of warm- blooded animals (humans, pets, farm animals, and wildlife) and were excreted in theirfeces. By themselves, fecal coliforms generally did not pose a danger to people or animals,but they indicated the presence of other disease-causing bacteria, such as those that causedtyphoid, dysentery, hepatitis A, and cholera [1]. This was a concern for the community ofRaM because farm animals, such as cows and donkeys, traveled to the river daily, and carewas not taken to prevent these animals from defecating in the river where drinking waterwas collected. Fecal coliforms were a problem for rain water collection or even the storageof water, when left outside without a lid, because birds and small animals could infect thesupply.

In spring 2006, major health complaints were addressed through the testing of drinkingwater samples in the community. These tests took the form of qualitative(presence/absence) tests. Testing of the drinking water in the community of RaM wasimportant in educating the community members of the quality of their water supply. Whilein the Dominican Republic, qualitative testing in the form of presence/absence tests for theformation of hydrogen sulfide was performed. There was a presence of fecal coliform inthe water if hydrogen sulfide formed during these tests. The formation of hydrogen sulfidewas indicated by black precipitate in the water sample.


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Energy Generation. A safe, reliable, and economical source of electricity was anotherurgent need of the community. Many households used hand-made devices to tap intopower lines for free electricity. Such a method was extremely dangerous. Just in a smallsample of the community, we were identified four families that lost husbands throughelectrocution, while fixing power lines. The electricity-generating bike that we brought

had the potential to charge a battery that could have provided a back-up power source forneighboring households. We aimed to train and work with the youth, to develop more suchpower-generating solutions.

Education. Higher educational opportunities for the youth were also necessary. Thecommunity had a school that provided education up to grade four. Beyond grade four,youths had to travel to a town at least half an hour away. Most youths did not continuetheir education because of duties at home and/or travel constraints. Just to reach thenearest main road cost them more than many households consumed in a day (less than $1USD).

In a community that was more than 90% illiterate, the most effective way to better familylifestyles was to educate the youths. However, even without much formal education, a lotof the local youths had a high aptitude for mechanical work, despite only having access todismal tools. This was proven by their construction of a Pedal Powered Generator this pastspring. Young adults also had a high level of familiarity with devices relying on more thanmechanical power, such as motorcycles, and audio/video devices. Since the communityschildren and young adults already had the natural aptitude and desire to learn mechanicalskills, a trade/vocational school could provide an effective stepping-stone toward a viablesource of income. Through the establishment of a vocational/trade school with Manos aTiempo we hoped to develop a solution that addressed the communitys needs foreducation and increased access to economic opportunities. BLUElab moved towards thisgoal by providing educational workshops in water purification, energy, and computerliteracy.


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III) Methods

(A) Water Purification Projects:In February (2007), we implemented a Biosand water filter in one community membershousehold and this served as a pilot filter. We also built seven working dual-bucket waterfilters, each having a one-year lifetime.

Needs Assessment Surveys and Qualitative Testing on Drinking Water Samples. In order toobtain a broad idea of current needs of the community, a survey instrument was developedand administered to households in the community (See Appendix C for survey instrument).The survey briefly covered health, energy, water, education, and sanitation of thehousehold. The survey was verbally administered and results were written directly on thesurvey, by the administrator. This year, qualitative tests were used to test the water of onehousehold and the efficacy of the water systems constructed on site. These tests weredeveloped by Hach Company and tests for hydrogen sulfide, which was an indicator forwater-borne pathogens. 20-mL glass vials were used to collect water samples. The vialswere sterilized with a 5-6% bleach solution before collection. After each vial was filledwith a water sample, the contents of one test packet were dissolved into each vial and thevial was capped immediately. Each vial was then incubated at room temperature for 24-48hours. Five vial samples (total of 100 mL) were collected at each water source. At the endof the 48 hours, the water source was considered contaminated if more than 1 out of the 5vials had turned black (See Appendix D for sample photographs).

Biosand Filtration. The implementation of the Biosand filtration project was due, in part, tothe generosity of Project Las Americas, which donated one concrete Biosand filter to thecommunity of RaM. The Biosand filter was available in Santo Domingo and transported toRaM. Derek Alfonso, a volunteer from Project Las Americas, provided installationinstructions on site in the community (see appendix E for installation instructions). Aneducational workshop was held to allow women in the community to discuss the need andappropriateness of the both the dual-bucket filter and the Biosand filter. During theworkshop, Chi-Chi was identified by other women in the community as someone whocould take the role of the Biosand filter Caretaker. The Biosand filter was implemented inMercedes house across from the schoolhouse and has been left under supervision of Chi-Chi. A list of things to DO and NEVER DO for maintenance of the system was left atthe house. A pictorial diagram detailing maintenance was also left (See appendix E for thediagram).

Dual Bucket Water Filter System. As a short term solution to the communitys water

problem, eight dual-bucket water filter systems were constructed from kits and materialsleft in the school. The lifetime of each carbon activated filter was six months, and eachfilter was distributed with one extra so that the total lifetime of the system was one year. Abaseline test for the presence of hydrogen sulfide was performed on a chlorinated watersample obtained from water in Mercedes concrete storage unit. After construction of thefilter, tests were performed on water samples obtained from the same location, chlorinatedand run through the filter systems to confirm their effectiveness. Based on the results,seven of the filters were working (produced clean water) and one filter was not working


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(did not produce clean water). This data can be found in Appendix D. Expiration dates ofeach filter (6 months from the implementation) were written on the lids and on the sides ofthe filters. Three of the filters were distributed during the week spent in Rancho al Medio.These filters were delivered to households in the area of the community located near theriver. The remaining filters were left in the schoolhouse so that leaders of the community

with an interest in water (Chi-Chi, Mercedes) could decide on an appropriate location forthe filters.

(B) Energy Generation Projects:To address the community need for a safe, cost-effective source of electricity we offered anenergy-generating bike called the Pedal Powered Prime Mover (PPPM) to RaM. ThePPPM was composed of parts generally found at a hardware store, and spare bike parts(crank gear, pedals, handle bars). The PPPM was constructed in three phases using themanuals provided by inventor David Butcher. As a wrap-up, we then facilitated a groupdiscussion with the community members who assembled the PPPM, to find potential usesof this new technology and future plans for group organization and collaboration. An

initial survey of the prospects for solar power and internet connection were also performed.

Pedal Powered Generator. The first construction phase of the PPPM was a feasibilitystudy. BLUElab wanted to assure that the PPPM parts could be purchased at a relativelylow cost, and that only common tools were necessary to construct the PPPM. Aftervalidating this, the next plan was to disassemble the PPPM and reassemble the bike withRaM community leaders. The second construction phase was implemented in RaM with afew of the community leaders that were found to be interested in engineering-related projects like the PPPM. The PPPM was then disassembled again in preparation for thefinal construction phase. The third and final construction phase involved having a few ofthe younger RaM members who were interested in the PPPM (most of whom had facility in

fixing motorcycles and other mechanical devices), construct the it without our help, andwith Spanish translations of the manuals4. BLUElab then held a discussion during which

the community members laid out a plan for the future of this technological solution, inwhich they identified the desire to modify the bike and build it for more households. Theyhoped to be able to turn this into a business venture and provide similar solutions toneighboring communities and support themselves with a novel source of revenue. Thecommunity members also identified their interest in forming a technological solutions teamand meet on a regular basis to develop solutions to other needs of the community.

Solar Power Area Survey. BLUElab recorded all the measurements necessary regardingsolar power so that we would be able to implement a system next year if appropriate.

Essential measurements and documentation of the schoolhouse site were completed, and asurvey of current energy generation options were recorded.

4BlueLab translated the PPPM manuals with the permission of David Butcher


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(C) Education Projects:Drinking Water Workshops. To prepare for this years trip to the Dominican Republic aneducational workshop on drinking water was created for the community members of RaM.This presentation contained information in the form of pictures, words, and props. It also

used activities to engage the participants in the workshop.

A primary goal of the presentation was to introduce water purification technology. Oneworkshop was directed toward the children in the community. It was held in theschoolhouse. Topics of the presentation included: waterborne illnesses and symptoms,water sanitation, and Biosand filter. A role-playing game where the children put differentdirty items (garbage, dirt, soap) into the water and then decided whether or not the waterwas safe to drink from, swim in, or boat in was also part of the presentation. A dual-bucketfilter system was used as a prop to show a solution to cleaning the dirty water. Time wasleft at the end of the presentation for the children to give feedback.

Another workshop on water purification technology was presented to leaders of thecommunity. The primary goal of the workshop was for the leaders to have a thoroughunderstanding of the technology and maintenance of the system. A schematic drawing of aBiosand filter was used in the presentation. At the end of the presentation, a volunteer wasidentified to summarize the presentation to all community members present at theworkshop, to demonstrate some ownership of this knowledge. A discussion followed andallowed them to communicate their needs and concerns and discuss the appropriateness ofthe Biosand filter and dual-bucket filters and the best location to put them.

Energy Workshops. Energy workshops were also created and presented for both RaM youthand adults. The purpose of the youth energy workshop was to raise awareness and

excitement about the basic forms of energy and its possible applications. This wasaccomplished in two parts. In the firs part, solar, chemical, electrical, mechanical, andthermal energy was introduced by showing how each can be used by RaM members daily.For example:

1. The sun used solar energy to help plants grow2. Humans gained chemical energy from eating the plants and then convert that

chemical energy into mechanical motion like walking, talking or playing sports3. Humans could actually convert their mechanical energy into electrical energy

This third segment of the energy cycle led into the second part of the presentation, which

introduced the PPPM to the RaM children. It was explained that if human used theirchemical energy was used to operate a bicycle, the mechanical energy of the bicyclesmotion could spin a motor that outputs direct current electricity.

We then included a role-playing game in which volunteers from the audience were pickedto represent the five basic forms of energy. Then the audience was asked what forms ofenergy were necessary various situations, such as a human playing baseball. In addition tothis game, other methods were used to include the audience in the energy presentation.


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Such methods were, having RaM children explain the basic forms of energy in their ownwords (if possible), and having a few volunteers explain the energy cycle mentioned above,to the rest of the audience. This method derived from the principle that involving theaudience members in the presentation would better engage them in the content. This, inturn, would increase the likeliness that they would retain the information presented.

In addition to the workshop presented to the RaM youth, there was also a presentationgiven to the RaM adults and young adults. The main goals of this presentation were toexpose the PPPM to RaM community members who were not involved with itsconstruction, and to get a better idea of RaM members energy concerns. To address thefirst goal the PPPM and its various components and functionality were introduced.Additionally a demonstration of its ability was shown by successfully sending power to aDC to AC convert which could power normal household lamps, radios, or other smallelectrical devices.

The second goal of this presentation was accomplished by having a discussion about the

RaM energy concerns on a personal community level. RaM adults and young adults werealso asked about uses of the PPPM that they would like to see.

Computer Education Module. Our computer education focus group was able tosuccessfully implement a computer education program in Rancho al Medio. It was ourprimary goal to observe and understand where the community currently stands with regardsto technology so that we may shape our future program more appropriately to their needs.While researching and gathering information through a community needs assessment,community diagnosis, and area surveys, we taught a select group of students about thebasics of computing. There was one class held daily for two to three hours for five straightdays. The purpose of the module on the basics of computing was to inspire and motivatean interest in computers within the community. Ultimately, it was our hope that we may beable to give the people these skills so that they may be more attractive to potentialemployers. With better job opportunities the people will have the resources to improvehealth conditions and educational opportunities in a sustainable manner. Successes in ourprogram included completing all of the planned materials, attracting different communitymembers to the computer lessons and exposing them to computers, and capturing theinterest of those involved in the program.

The first day of the workshop we did not use the computers. We had 8 students inattendance and our main objective was to give a broad introduction about what computersare, and for what purposes we can us them. We showed them all the different parts of alaptop and a desktop computer and described how the internet can be used in a computer tofind information. We further discussed all the terminology that is important to understand before using the computer. This terminology included the concepts of windows, menus,and files.

The second lesson was more hands on and we introduced the students to how to turn on thecomputer and the basics of navigating windows. We described how to navigate the menusto find programs, showed all the functions of the taskbar, like changing the time and


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volume, and most importantly determining how much power remains in the battery. Wecompleted this lesson with the introduction of the application called Paint as a fun activity.

Lesson three covered typing. We discussed the functions of all the different keys on akeyboard and proper finger placement on the keyboard. We stressed the importance of

finger placement and how using proper technique can increase the speed one can type. Wehad fun Spanish typing applications installed on the laptops to give the students plenty oftime to practice their newly learned typing skills.

Lesson four was a more advanced lesson on using Microsoft Word. There were previouslyprepared samples of poems and sentences in Spanish for the students to learn how to type.In this lesson the students had to use all of the skills they had attained in the previouslessons. They turned on the computer, initialized the Microsoft word application, andtyping. In addition to navigating windows to start this application we taught them how tonavigate the menus within word in addition to the shift and return functions. At the end ofthe lesson we showed the students how to use iTunes so that they both could see the

application, and enjoy their music through the technology.

The last lesson was spent discussing the future of this program and getting an assessmentfrom the students on what they thought about the program, and discussing the promise ofinternet in the future.

Internet Area Survey. All of the necessary measurements regarding the internet wererecorded to facilitate the implementation of internet access next year, if appropriate. Inaddition to recording all the essential measurements and taking pictures of the school housesite, we completed a community resource diagnostic in which we walked around thecommunity and went to local stores and asked members of the community a list ofquestions about the current technology that they have present in their households and togauge their interest in computer education programs.


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IV) Indicators

We propose the use of indicators for evaluating the outcome of filter implementation by:

1. Assessing the number of community members using each water filter; specifically

number of people per day;2. Assessing the level of interest of purchasing system for use in household;3. Recording any change in incidence of water-bourn illness;4. Leaving community satisfaction surveys, for our community partner to collect.5. Create more in depth survey focusing on water technologies that have been implemented(SODIS, Biosand, dual-bucket system) to look at differences in receptiveness of thecommunity to each technology

We will be able to immediately assess criterion number 1 at the end of the summer portionof the project. We will be able to assess criteria number 2 and 3 next February, whenBLUElab and Health in Action return to the community.

With regards to the energy generation system, possible indicators include:

1. Assessing the number of teenagers attending weekly meetings;2. Recording the number of uses developed for bicycle.3. The frequency of the use of the bicycle as the primary source of electricity.

Finally, we will evaluate the outcomes of the technological solutions team by

1. Assessing the successful/unsuccessful marketing of energy bike;2. Assessing the successful/unsuccessful development and/or marketing of other

technological solutions


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V) Results

Water Purification Projects:Biosand Filtration. Since installation, the efficacy of the biosand filter has been monitoredthrough conference calls from Ann Arbor to RaM. No illness has been reported by

community members who are drinking water from the biosand filter. The filter is beingused by community members near the home of Mercedes, living in the neighborhood ofLos Quintines (near school). Currently, the sole biosand filter is too far to be used by somecommunity members, especially those that live near Palo del Burro and Caada Andrs.Based on feedback from community members, primarily women, they have been eithertaking water with them or taking water from Mercedes, more frequently relying on thislatter option. The water available in Mercedes backyard is pumped from the well, whenelectricity is available and stored in a cement cistern. Exact figures on the number ofindividuals using the system, and their frequency of use are not yet available. Thecommunity has reported that the filter has truly improved the quality of their water and arepleased with the overall results of the biosand filtration technology.

Energy Generation Projects:

Pedal Powered Generator. As mentioned in section III-B of this report there were threephases of construction for the Pedal Powered Prime Mover (PPPM) project. The purposeof the first construction phase was to determine if the PPPM was a feasible project toaddress the electricity needs of RaM. In this phase, BLUElab members asked thefollowing questions to gauge feasibility of the application of PPPM in RaM:

1. Are the parts necessary to build the PPPM easily accessible to us?2. Would the parts necessary to build the PPPM be easily accessible in RaM?3. How intuitive is the build process?4. Are the PPPM instruction manuals easy to understand?5. Can the instruction manuals be improved? In what ways?

Regarding the first question, we found that parts were easy to compile. We purchasedmany parts at large home improvement/hardware store. The bicycle specific parts wefound at a local bicycle salvage yard. We anticipated that RaM members could find bicycle parts within their own community. However, we were not certain that RaMmembers could easily find pieces like long metal struts to construct the PPPM base. Toaddress this issue we proposed possibly subsidizing hardware pieces that are difficult toaccess in RaM (or surrounding areas), and shipping them as needed to the community.

Intuition was only used sparsely when BLUElab members constructed the PPPM in thefirst phase. Group members heavily relied on the instruction manuals and build pictures ona CD provided by David Butcher. Realizing that RaM members were not likely to havecomputers to view this picture CD, we decided to incorporate the build pictures into theconstruction manual. This would allow RaM members to have the words and pictures in


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logical hard copy form5. Since we found that the pictures were especially important in our

build of the PPPM, we related this importance to the RaM build of the PPPM by includingeach build picture, logically, in the text.

The second phase of construction actually began with the disassembly of the PPPM while

in Michigan. The primary purpose of this was to be able to ship the PPPM to RaM in acompact form, though we also planned to have RaM community members construct thePPPM themselves. This construction by RaM members was an attempt to give them asense of ownership of the project that was greater than if we just handed them a completedPPPM.

In the disassembly, it was discovered that the 34-inch diameter wooden flywheel could notme shipped because of its size. To rectify this, a flywheel was purchased and cut to size inSan Cristobal, Dominican Republic. This necessary customization allowed for the accurateidentification of the flywheels center, which facilitated the construction in RaM.

To begin assembly of the PPPM in RaM, the first objective was to find the localcommunity member that was specified as the main engineering contact in previous reports.6

After contacting this individual, Seor Galvan, the PPPM was introduced7

and buildingplans for the week were discussed. (See Appendix F for photo documentation) Sr. Galvan,and some of his friends worked well in assembling the PPPM with help from BLUElabmembers. BLUElab provided tools for use during construction. Manuals in Spanish thatintegrated build pictures with almost every step were also provided. Construction wascompleted after working for three to four hours over the course of two days. This time wasgreatly reduced from the construction time during phase one for the following reasons:important lessons were learned by BLUElab members during the first build, the manualswith integrated build photos were very helpful, the intuitive mechanical skills of Sr. Galvanand his friends were higher than expected.

After completing the second construction phase, Sr. Galvan proposed that a good next stepwould be to have the youth of RaM construct the PPPM from a completely deconstructedstate, with their own tools. Sr. Galvan explained that by having the young adults of RaM build and maintain the PPPM, they would develop a vested interest in furthering itsdevelopment into something useful for the entire community. This was the objective of thePPPM to provide a sustainable option for electricity in RaM, so this suggestion by Galvanresulted in the third phase of construction.

The third and final phase of construction consisted of disassembly and reassembly withRaM teenagers. At this stage, 6-10 RaM teenagers compiled their personal tools to put thePPPM together without any of our instruction. There were 1-2 young adults, such as Papo,who took a lead in surveying the construction manual, and relaying instructions to thebuilders, such as Jaire. The young adults were able to construct the PPPM much quicker

5As a group, BLUElab also worked to translate the instruction manuals in Spanish for RaM members.

6Seor Galvan was found to be a good engineering contact in RaM from previous anecdotal evidence

7This introduction was met with some challenge in RaM. This will be discussed more in (Discussion

section)


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than our team did in the first phase, though they had fewer tools available. However, themeasuring, cutting, and drilling of the flywheel had already been done and the flywheel andcrankshaft were not disassembled, to expedite the construction process.

During the reconstruction, the young adults mistakenly mounted the flywheel on the

incorrect side of the PPPM, but instead of dismounting and remounting the flywheel on thecorrect side, the young adults moved the motor mount from the rear of the PPPM to thefront (just below the handle bars). This mistake actually yielded a more robust design thanwe constructed based of the original plans. Construction was completed in approximately 2hours, after which the RaM youth connected a small, low-wattage, DC light bulb to theterminals of the PPPM and were gratified to see the bulb illuminate.

Now that BLUElab has left RaM the next construction phases will be custom and unique tothe design of RaM members.

Solar Power Area Survey. After completing a solar power survey for the community, it was

determined that the school house would be the most appropriate location for the panels.We determined that the implementation of such a system would be difficult considering thelocation and current condition of the school house roof. The truss system of theschoolhouse is not very stable, and the roof itself is made of thin zinc metal ruffles.Additionally, the schoolhouse is located at a relatively busy intersection where dust is oftendispersed into the air. This would greatly decrease the efficiency of a solar panel system.We were unaware that there is already access to electricity at many local houses, but theircurrent method of tapping into to local power lines is hazardous and leads to unnecessaryfatalities as a result of electrocution. For a more coverage of the findings of this survey seeAppendix G.

Education Projects:

Drinking Water Workshops. The audience involved in the RaM childrens workshop wereactively engaged through question and answers throughout the workshop, a demonstrationof the dual-bucket water filtration system, and a song of the biosand filter dailyinstructions. The initial role playing game elicited enthusiastic responses from the children,expressing their concern with dirty water, but it was not clear if their classroom responsestransferred to daily practice. The use of guantanamera as the back beat for the biosandfilter song, seemed to be enjoyed by both children and adults, particularly by the few adultsin the audience (e.g., teachers and mothers). Thus, suggesting that such methods maysuccessfully communicate technical information across multiple generations.

After the female community leaders who attended the drinking water workshop werepresented with a thorough overview of the biosand filtration technology, one communitymember summarized the system for everyone present at the workshop. After thedemonstration of ownership behind the biosand filtration technology, the women came to aconsensus regarding their interest in pursuing the implementation of the biosand filtersafter a lengthy discussion. Furthermore, the female community leaders also came to aconsensus regarding the most appropriate location for the installation of the pilot system,and promptly proceeded to help in the installation of the system at Mercedes house.


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Energy Workshops. The audience involved in the RaM childrens workshop showed theirinterest in the content by actively participating and asking questions. The children that didask questions, volunteer in the role-playing game, and explained key presentation points tothe rest of the audience got the most out of our presentation. It was also most likely that

these participants will retain the information that was presented. Though the PPPM was presented, we were not approached by any of the children to show them the PPPM orexplain more.

If more of a link between the PPPM as it related to basic energy forms, and the PPPM thatwas being built in the community, more children might have been interested in the PPPMconstruction and future use. There were a few of the youth, male and female, thatwitnessed the construction of the PPPM by the RaM young adults. This would have beenan ideal time to engage these children in the build process of the PPPM, and ask themquestions about what they thought of that process and the PPPM itself. Keeping the youthof RaM engaged in current RaM energy projects like the PPPM could help perpetuate

interest in interest in improving RaM energy infrastructure. In turn, this interest wouldprovide solutions to the current RaM energy concerns in the future.

Computer Education Module. The students all enjoyed the program and wished to learnmore. The students learned at much more rapid rate than anticipated and we were able toteach them additional functionalities within the programs than we had originally plannedfor in our lessons. The greatest challenges in implementing this program arose with someof the more unexpected subtle functions of the windows platform. An example of this waswhen students accidentally hit the key on the keyboard that initializes the start menu, orwhen they accidentally clicked outside of the current active window. Suddenly thecomputer typing application would not respond to their typing inputs. It was a challengingexplaining that if they clicked outside of the window that it was no longer active. The onlyindication Microsoft Windows provides of this occurring is the perimeter of the windowturns a shade of color lighter. An expert user immediately realizes what has occurred but toa novice it can be very frustrating understanding what the computer is communicating orindicating. Another challenge was describing when a single click or a double-click wasnecessary. Although this did not present as many problems as the previous issue, itsometimes led to confusion. Both of these issues are simple problems that will certainly beunderstood and resolved provided the community members get more practice. The futureof this program is certainly promising, and there is no limitation to the amount the peoplecan learn from this technology.

Internet Area Survey. The status of internet in the local area has changed often recently.There used to be an internet caf located roughly 20 minutes away in Palenque that wasclosed in the past year. Most recently, the nearest internet caf was located in SanCristobal about 30 minutes away from Rancho al Medio. The internet caf receiveedinternet through a router and telephone line. Most people that used internet at this locationused it for banking, buying clothing and searching for information. The local providers fortelephone and internet service are Trikon, Verizon, Sentrial, and Chif.


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VI) Discussion (Lessons Learned)

To help facilitate our work in and interaction with the community, we need even more of acultural understanding of how the community of RaM lives. For example, interaction withAndrea Pestone

8, revealed the importance of cultural settings, since her project of an

internet caf business failed because friends and family were not charged. We need tounderstand if technology is something that they would be hesitant to use due to theirreligious views. We should be sensitive to their immediate, essential needs as they wouldaffect their acceptance of novel ideas. Future teams should note that it may take some timeand effort to overcome an initially cautious mindset.

Before embarking on a field project, plan out the best way to collect information, developvery concrete goals, and set a high bar for expectations, since you can accomplish morethan you think you can. Realize that there are ample opportunities to make many specificobservations outside of the domain of your own project, so that when you get back, futureimplementations will be facilitated and guided by concrete information. Note that in the

midst of the trip, it may be easy to lose track of your goals, as you interact with the kids, but the bottom line should not be forgotten. It may be overwhelming to think of all thechallenges and problems needed to be overcome, specially regarding their own health, butdo not get discouraged, even small things matter- and once we get community membersmotivated and engaged, then the projects will run more smoothly. Do not underestimatemembers of the community. They know a lot more that you think. Note that some thingsare lost in translation; difficulty in conveying the mission of a specific project or insustaining their motivation may occur.

Water Purification Projects:

Due to number of groups that are working in the community (i.e., University of Miami,

University of Michigan Medical School, School of Public Health, etc.), it will be importantto coordinate the introduction of any permanent system in the field. During the installationof the dual-bucket systems, we learned that community members had used similar systemsin the past. Furthermore, given the limited adoption of solar water disinfection (SODIS)technology within the community, it is of importance to monitor the use of the waterpurification systems in their daily routine to gauge what additional barriers exist and howsuch technologies could be seamlessly integrated into the fabric of everyday life.

Energy Generation Projects:

Due to the relatively isolated nature of the village, the community web is very integrated.This means that members of the community know each other and are each family unit is

almost always a distant relative to another. Several consequences of this system ofrelationships are that 1) information is deliberately distributed; especially information pertaining to our activities in the village, and that 2) relationships within a family unit,especially those of mother to son, are especially dominant. Given the family ties, coupledwith the notion that everybody are well acquainted with each other in the village

8Andrea Pestone is a peacecorps volunteer who worked in the village of Majagual, in San Cristobal [email

address: [email protected]].


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should raise an extra awareness in competitive projects such as voting, brainstorming forpriorities of issues, etc. Thus, these factors should lead to careful and clear explanations ofprojects that involve popular selection, so as to not jeopardize the close-knit relationshipsin the village (i.e. if voting is conducted, people have to be aware that only one winner isselected and that the process is deemed fair by everyone). The close relationships allow

fluent sharing of materials and tools (i.e. in construction phases 2 and 3). The villagersseem to be ready to share their resources, even from reusable materials, rather than beingdiscouraged from a lack of advanced tools.

Education Projects:

To ensure the sustainability of our education projects, we need to discuss lesson plans withteachers, rather than just kids and teenagers, and need to work more closely with formaleducators (e.g., computer education). It is our hope that internet connections can bebrought to the community in the future, but we would need to expand the duration of the project, as we would have difficulty to implement such a project within a single week.Further investigation should be made if children have transferred their school-book

knowledge in everyday practice (e.g., have they reduced their frequency of swimming inthe river, since our arrival?).

Active participation in the children workshops worked well and should be a primary focusin future years. Engaging the children in the build process of any future project isimportant for the sustainability goal of BLUElabs work, as the communitys human capitalwould be greatly enhanced. Educational modules about engineering could be pursued byHIA for children and young adults. This could then be paired to the projects BLUElab isworking on in the community to give them a physical sense of the engineering informationthey learned in the modules. There should be an active effort to engage females in theengineering information sessions and projects, so as to overcome the stigma thatengineering projects like the PPPM are only things that males could participate in. Wehave some pictures of some of the RaM female children that seemed to have interest in thePPPM (See Appendix F). These females could be pursued in future projects with RaM.


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VIII) Conclusion (Project Hand-off)

In summer of 2007, we hope to gather more information on the effectiveness of the biosandfilter in the community. If the device proves to be effective in providing clean drinkingwater to members of the community, we will aim to strategically place enough filters to

provide clean water for all members of the community. Resources will be providedthrough a grant from Project Las Americans (see Appendix E for grant information).

During the summer, we have two major goals:

1. To provide technological solutions to aid the development of a village in theDominican Republic toward autonomy. The solutions include those for clean waterand electrical energy.

2. To aid the development of a vocational/trade school within the village

During the summer portion of this project, we aim to get the necessary infrastructure forthe community to apply for a grant from Rotary for the implementation of biosand filters.This includes the assessment of current use of the pilot filter, identification of individualswithin the community who are willing to be trained on the installation and technicalsupport of the filter, and set up a training session with members from the Rotary Club andProject Las Americas, who donated the pilot filter. Because the trip will last for at least amonth, we would like to help implement the filters once the grant is successfully received.

Over the summer, we would like to train the teenagers in technological education and workwith them in the development and marketing of their own projects the energy bike and/orany other solutions they will be developing through the integration of integrated product

development principles in a cooperative community setting. The concept of integratedproduct development was originally developed in 1991 in Stanford and was brought to theUniversity of Michigan by Dr. William Lovejoy, a professor in the Ross School ofBusiness in Michigan. The students are given a topic for production (i.e. kitchen utilitiesfor a one-handed chef), and will then perform market research, design and develop theprototype and display the prototype in a design expo setting in order to gain virtual profitand market opportunities.

With the concept of integrated product development in mind, we would like to targetmembers of the community, after identifying potential team leaders who would then recruitmembers to form teams. We would then present teams with self-identified issues/topics

that could be used as a driver for product development (e.g., insulation for electric panels,due to high incidence of people who have died from accidental shocks; methods/tools forquick and effective road smoothening, since the path to and from Rancho is in poorcondition; and an attach for donkeys/carrying packs to allow for safer and fastertransportation of water from sources). We would explain the objectives and reasons behindsplitting into teams, which would allow for alternative answers, and hopefully yield a morepractical and valuable contribution to the community. We would facilitate team meetingsamongst community members, and help organize an exposition in the village, and let other


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villagers vote on their most preferred design. Thus, through this design exposition, weseek to work with the teenagers in developing their technological solutions to everydayneeds and preparing them for possible vocational school.

To help the teams reach their goals, we have prepared a series of workshops that focus on

the design process, creativity, team work and electrical safety. We will also be teaching aseries of science and English classes to anyone thats interested.

Project Timeline:

June/July, 2007

Week 1: a. Assessment of pilot biosand filterb. Determination of locations of new filtersc. Assessment of current functioning of the technological solutions groupd. Identification of potential team leaders

e. Presentation of self-identified issues/topics for use in integrated productdevelopmentf. Explanation of the objectives and reasons behind team formation

Week 2: a. Identification of individuals willing to be trained on the installation andtechnical support of the filterb. Compose grant for more biosand filtersc. Marketing technological solutions with teenagersd. Research vocational/trade school optionse. Identify potential vocational/trade school instructorsf. Facilitate development of prototypes

Week 3: a. Set up training session of biosand filtersb. Continue with grant if necessaryc. Continue with marketing and school researchd. Continue with Team facilitation

Week 4: a. Obtaining granted filtersb. Oversee installation and implementation of new filtersc. Continue with marketing and training of teenagers

Week 5: a. Continue with unfinished business and set future goalsb. Set up a wrap-up meeting with the women trained in use of the biosandfilter system, and with the men working on concept prototypes


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IX) References/Resources

[1] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2006. Fecal Coliform. Available online athttp://www.epa.gov/maia/html/fecal.html, accessed April 16, 2006.

[2] World Health Organization. 2001. Arsenic in Drinking Water. Available online athttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs210/en/, accessed April 3, 2006.

[3] Ege, Seyhan. 2004. Organic Chemistry Structure and Reactivity, 4. Boston, MA:Houghton Mifflin Company. 483.


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X) Appendix


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Appendix A

Roles, Responsibilities, and Reflections of Team Members

Overview:

This appendix contains a brief introduction to the roles and responsibilities of each teammember. Each individuals personal contributions helped to make this years projectsuccessful in assisting the community of RaM.

Individual Team Member Contributions:

Manuel Hernandez: Manuel facilitated communication with Manos A Tiempo (e.g.,Gloria, Jenny and Juan Luis). He participated in the PPPM prototypebuild in Ann Arbor, and worked with Tyler on funding requests fromMSA and UMEC. He also helped translate the scripts for the water

and energy workshops. As a team facilitator, enjoyed theopportunity to work with a team of driven individuals, who pursuedany means possible to accomplish their overly constrained projects.

Binoy Philip: He was involved in the Biosand water filtration and the PPPMprojects. He coordinated with the PPPM team in Ann Arbor to helpthem document the procedures for installation of the bicycle.

David Stile: David led the computer education initiative with the assistance ofSarwat Ahmad from Health In Action. He was involved in thecreation and translation of all the computer education modules, andadditionally constructed and completed both the internet and solarpanel area surveys. He continues research on internet and alternative power installation for future implementation. He also assisted incommunication between Health in Action and BLUElab.

Maria Xiang Maria coordinated the donation of the biosand filtration system withProject Las Americas (Bob Hildreth and Dereck Alfonso) and helpedwith the installation of the biosand and dual-bucket systems. Shealso helped with on-site water testing and prepared a visual presentation for the water presentation in English. Shecommunicated with Jim Bodenner and helped coordinate a campuslecture on biosand filtration systems.


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Appendix B

Project Community Partner

Overview:

Our project community partner is Manos a Tiempo, a nonprofit in the Dominican Republicwith the objective of helping developing areas help themselves and make themselvessustainable. Manos a Tiempo began working with the village RaM approximately 8 yearsago, with a vision of developing a few dozen scattered residents into an autonomous self-sustaining community. Among other things, Manos a Tiempo helped facilitate thedevelopment of local leadership within the village, built and started a school, and drilledtwo wells where there used to be none. Within the University of Michigan, BLUElab hascollaborated with Health in Action, a team of undergraduate, public health, and medicalstudents who have worked to foster sustainable change in the health and literacy of thecommunity of RaM for the past five years. Together, both Health in Action and BLUElabhave been working hand in hand with Manos A Tiempo to address some of the water,public health, and educational needs of RaM.


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Appendix C

Need Assessment Survey InstrumentHealth In Action/BLUElab; University of Michigan; Feb 24th- Mar 7, 2007; Rancho al Medio, Dominican Republic

ID# Interviewer Name: Date:__________________________________________________________________________________________

Interviewee:

First Name: Last Name:__________________________________________________________________________________________

General

Family Members Other

1. How many people live in the home?

01. .02 .03 .04 .05

2.

Name of

family

member

3.Age of familymember

4. Gender

M F M F M F M F M

Education/Literacy

01. 02. 03. 04. 05.

5.

Time is

Primarily

Spent:

a. Working outside

of home

b. Working athome

c. Looking forwork

d. Studying

e. Playing

f. Other______________________

a. Working outside

of home

b. Working athome

c. Looking forwork

d. Studying

e. Playing

f. Other______________________

a. Working outside

of home

b. Working athome

c. Looking forwork

d. Studying

e. Playing

f. Other______________________

a. Working outside

of home

b. Working athome

c. Looking forwork

d. Studying

e. Playing

f. Other______________________

a. Working ou

of home

b. Workhome

c. Looking forwork

d. Studying

e. Playing

f. Other________________

For how long? For what kind of work?

6.

At any time of the year, do

children not go to school in

order to work?

Yes No

7.

a. < 3 monthsb.< 3 months,

< 6 monthsc. < 6 months

8.

a. Household workb.Work for money

c. Other____________________________________________

.01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07 .08


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Television Friends/family School Work R

3.

Where does the household get

information from (check):

Other:

Sanitation:

5. What are the must useful items (tools and appliances) in the household?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Household member .01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07 .08

1.

Does household member go to

school? (Check for yes)

2. Does Member (mark for yes) .01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07 .08

A. Read street signs

B. Read scores ofbaseball games

c. Read pamphlets

1.

How many rooms are there

in your home?

Concrete Bricks Wood Granite Dirt None

2.

What is the main

construction material of the

floors in your housing?Other:

Concrete Bricks Wood Granite Dirt Salvage

Material

3.

What is the main

construction material of the

roof of your housing?Other:

Throw it in the yardor somewhere else

Burn it nearthe house

Burn it somewhereaway from the house

You havea service

4.What do you do with your

garbage?

Other:


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6. Does your household have the following:

Energy/Electricity:

Is electricity/energy used for any other purpose in this household and what is source:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Water1. What is your most important potable water source in the wet season?

River Well Private Faucet Rain Water

Community Faucet Other_________________________________________

2. What is your preferred potable water source in the wet season?



3. What is your most important potable water source in the dry season?



Always Sometimes Never Always Sometimes Never

Soap Screwdriver

Nails Wrench

Hammer Machete

Latrine Chlorine

Radio Television

Generator Candles Gas Lamp Lanterns None1. What kind of electricity is

there in the household?

Other:

Never/Dont have any Very Limited Usually Always

2. How often is this light source

available?

Wood Charcoal Dung Natural Gas Kerosene

Electricity Cooking Gas

3. What is the main source offuel for cooking in this

household?

Other:

Never/ Dont have any Very Limited Usually Always4. How often is this source offuel available?

Nver/Dont have any Very Limited Usually Alway5. Do you have access toelectricity?


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4. What is your preferred potable water source in the dry season?



2. How do you treat your water in the wet season?

Boil Chlorine Filter SODIS None

Other________________________________________________________________

2. How do you treat your water in the dry season?

Boil Chlorine Filter SODIS None

Other________________________________________________________________

3. Do you know how to use SODIS?Yes No

4. Do you use SODIS regularly in your household?Yes No

5. Why or why not?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Health 1. How far do you travel to reach the hospital or place of emergency care?< 1km 1km 1-5 km >5km Other ______

3. How do you get there in an emergency?

By foot Other (specify) ______ ______________________________

4. At other times?

By foot Other (specify) ______ _______________________________

5. Who is your healthcare provider?

City hospital Local clinic Local practitionerOther

6. How far do you travel to reach your primary healthcare provider?

< 1km 1km 1-5 km >5km Other _______


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8. For which, if any, were you hospitalized? (If different from above, specify)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Has any member of the household passed away in the past year?

Relationship Age Cause of death

7. Member of Household .01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07

Severity (1=mild, 3=severe)

When (in the past month)How many days ago?

Stomache Pain

Duration (days)

Severity (# Stools/day)

Duration (days)

Diarrhea


Severity (# Times/day)

Duration (days)

Vomiting


Severity (1=mild, 3=severe)


Other

Symptoms:

Duration (days)


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Appendix D

Qualitative Testing on Drinking Water Samples

Overview:

This appendix contains information regarding qualitative testing that was done on drinkingwater samples while in RaM. These qualitative tests were in the form of presence/absencetest for hydrogen sulfide (H2S). If hydrogen sulfide forms in the sample then this means thedrinking water sample contains fecal coliform. Black precipitate will be seen in the sampleif hydrogen sulfide is present. The sample will remain clear if hydrogen sulfide does notform. Included below are the materials needed, procedure, and an Excel file where the rawdata was tabulated from the trials ran during this experiment.

Materials:

Glass vials with screw-on cap Water samples from RaM Nutrient broth 5-6% Bleach Solution

Procedure:

First, each glass vial is sterilized, using a few drops of a 5-6% bleach solution. Watersample is added to wash out the bleach from each vial, before the final 20 mL of the watersample is added to the glass vial. The nutrient broth is added to the water in the vial. Thevial is then capped and shaken to dissolve the nutrient broth. The samples are incubated at

ambient temperature for twenty-four hours. After this time has elapsed it is noted whetheror not the sample has black precipitate present. These are rated 0 for a clear sample, 1 for asample containing black precipitate, and 2 for a sample that is all black. A photo showingthese different conditions is shown in the next section. The data collected from thisexperiment is tabulated in a table and can be referred to at the end of this section.

Results for Qualitative Testing:

Tabulated data from the presence/absence tests for H2S from the 8 dual bucket systems built and test

Sample Water Condition (MPN Test)

Baseline Contaminated

Filter 1 UncontaminatedFilter 2 Uncontaminated


Filter 5 UncontaminatedFilter 6 Contaminated


Photo Documentation:


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This photo is described from left to right. The first three samples represent a negative test

result (clear, yellow color). The next four samples represent a positive test result (i.e.presence of H2S), with the first pair of samples demonstrating black precipitate and the lastpair of samples demonstrating a black color.

A B CThese photos illustrate a) the testing of the dual-bucket filtration systems in the field, b) arecipient family of the short term intervention, and c) a demonstration of the dual-bucket

system to children in a water workshop.


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Appendix E

Maintenance and Installation of Biosand Filter

Pilot Biosand Filter Implementation(a) Installation1. Add 1 liter water to empty filter2. Add 2 in. gravel (or one full tomato can [maria what was this called??]) When addinggravel or sand, materials should be pour slowly so that they gently run down the sides ofthe filter.3. Add more water4. Add 2 in. gravilla (smaller gravel)5. Add several gallons of water6. Add 19 in. of sand (until the total contents are 3 below the lower ledge7. Make sure that the final water level is 2 in. above the sand and 1 in. below the lowerledge mark.One time only chlorination step:8. Mix 2 spoonfuls of ajax chlorox with 2 liters water.9. Attach L-shaped plastic piping to filter spout (see below).

10. Pour the 2 Liters of Chlorox solution through the top of the pipe11. Wait fro 7-10 minutes12. Drain the Chlorox solution

13. Put the plate with many holes above the sand if not already done so14. Run 5 gallons of water through the filter and time how many liters of the water passthrough the filter in 1 minute. The appropriate amount is between 1.0 and 1.1 liters perminute. If the flow rate exceeds the limit, remove 2 in. of sand from the top and replace itwith 2 in. of fine sand. Time again. Adjust accordingly.15. Run water through filter once a day for three consecutive days before drinking.

FILTER

Spout

27 pipe

3 circumference


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(b) Daily UseNEVER move the filter after installationKeep the filter indoorsKeep the filter in a cool locationGuard the filter from animals and children

(c) MaintenanceClean the plate with many holes (plate de fusor?) daily with clean towelNEVER touch anything below the plate with many holes unless one is cleaning the filterCleaning:1. Pass hand very gently over the top inch of sand2. Scoop out the brownish-colored water above the sand3. Replace with 2 in. of water.

Biosand Filter Contacts

Water Initiatives at International AidContacts:Jim Bodenner Email: [email protected]

Phone Number: (809) 586-2423

Project Las Americas

http://www.projectlasamer.com/index.htmC/O Business Mail 3-00436911 NW 87th Av.Miami, FL 33178

Fax: (809) 586-4512Email: [email protected]

Contacts:Bob Hildreth Email: [email protected]

Phone Number: (809) 586-2423

Derek Alfonso Email: [email protected] Number: Home 809-542-0908

Cell 809-805-9930

Sara Lucena Email: [email protected](another volunteer)


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Appendix F

Construction and Setup of PPPM

Photo Documentation:

1

3 4

Photos 1-4 describe the first three stages of PPPM construction. 1) Phase I construction in MichigaPhase II construction with participation of Galvan and his family; Bottom: Verification of electricity

III construction; 3) Discussion over the assembly of the motor; and 4) further verification of electrici


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5 6

These photos (5-6) illustrate the community members who were present during the PhaseIII construction and 5) working through some design challenges; and who were activelyengaged in the construction (6: Top). Photo 6: Bottom illustrates the community memberspresent during the final meeting, and pledged to continue to work together as a group tosolve technical community problems.


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Appendix G

Solar Power Area Survey

Local Suppliers

What type of supplies can you buy within 1 hour of the village?

Antennas for televisions, and other electronic items can be bought in SanCristbal.

What is the closest internet location?There used to be an internet center 20 minutes down the road in Palenque,currently there is an internet center located in San Cristbal

Are there any stores in the region that sell generators? What is the cost?Uncertain about specific names where a generator can be obtained but aHonda Generator is used in the community next to the bar. Most likely itwas obtained in San Cristobal or in the capital.

Location and Orientation How many square feet of unshaded area is available?(Need at least

Sq. ft)?

The two schoolhouse roofs are almost entirely unshaded. On the north sideof the Most northern school house there is a small tree that obstructs a verysmall portion of the roof.

Are there any better locations for the computer and solar power placement?

There are really no better locations for the solar panels. Most other houses

do not have very stable roofs, and the local store has a roof made mostly ofstraw. It is a central location with great protection from the elements

What is the tilt angle on the roof of the school house?

The angle of the roof with respect to the horizontal is 21.2 degrees throughcalculation, and roughly 30 degrees using a protractor.

o Are there any roofs in the area that face true south without anyshading?

The school house in the best option. It faces true southo What angle would put the panel perpendicular to the suns rays at

noon?

Is the building facing north/south/east west?

The schoolhouses faces North/South according to the compass

How does the soil appear? (important in case placement needs to beexternal on a post)


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The soil is arid, dry, and hard. Additionally there are many large rocks.Particularly around the schoolhouse. Some decent equipment would benecessary.

Condition of roof on building? (Important for knowing how we can interface

panels with roof)

The roof appears to be old, and is slightly rusted. The interface between theroof and the concrete frame of the building is simply nuts and bolts that gothrough the aluminum or zinc roof. The bolts go through the roof and intothe triangular metal frame that lines the schoolhouse.

What material is the roof made from?

The roof appears to be made of aluminum or zinc.The following is a rough sketch of the trusses that hold the zinc ruffles

Can we get the panel on the roof? (Accessibility)

There would need to be a lot of caution taken. There is not easy access tothe roof apart from using a latter. The roof does not stable enough to

support many people. What are the dimensions of the roof? Other roofs?

The dimensions of the school house roof are:

Length=60 280 Width=304.5 height=152


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Are there any solar type devices located in the area on any businesses/onany homes?None were sighted in the Rancho al Medio Region

What is the altitude of the community?Approximately 315 ft.

Is there a lot of dust in the area? During other times of the year?There is a lot of dust in the area. Particularly in this intersection due to thehigh volume of vehicle and mainly motorcycle traffic.

Power and Wiring (Pertinent for both Internet and Solar Power)

Would wiring in the building be an issue anywhere?Wiring could either be drilled through the cement wall or it could loop underthe opening beween the cement walls and the metal roof.

Where could we place the wire runs?Wire runs already exist and the electricity works at certain hours of the day.

Take pictures of school houses current power system?

Are there any serial numbers or model types for the equipment currentlybeing used in the schoolhouse?3- 20 Amp Breakers1- 30 Amp BreakerType 1 indoor enclosure cat # TLM612FCUD MOD 1GE Powermark Gold6/12 Circuit Load CenterTransformer set-up see picture

point of use water purification and energy generation for the community of rancho al medio,...

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