Supply of Safe Drinking Water to the Communities of Peru

Supply of safe drinking water to the communities of Laurelpampa, Iglesiapampa and Quidén in the Paccha district of Peru, where access to water is currently limited or not of sufficient quality.

Background

The district of Paccha is in the province of Chota, which in turn belongs to the department of Cajamarca, in the Peruvian Andes. The population engages mainly in agriculture (78%).

Although better cover in terms of services is available in the population centre, 75% of the district’s population lives in rural areas, where access to basic services like water is challenging. This means that people must use unsafe water, and the incidence of water-related illness is therefore high.

More specifically, the communities of Iglesiapampa, Laurelpampa and Quidén lack systems to ensure safe provision of water of sufficient quality and quantity throughout the year to all residents, so something needs to be done to cover this need.

The Regional Government of Cajamarca has developed a comprehensive Regional Development Plan for Cajamarca, which includes as a specific objective Universal Access to Safe Water and Quality Sanitation Services. As a strategy for achieving this goal, the plan states that “international aid agencies must give priority to investments in water and sanitation infrastructures”. It further states that actions are needed to strengthen the capacities and management of the agencies in charge of water services, especially in rural areas.

The project to be delivered by Ferrovial, together with ANESVAD and its local partner, Haren Alde, covers these aspects and aims to achieve universal access for these three communities.

Anesvad

Anesvad is an organization working to achieve that health becomes a right for vulnerable populations as part of achieving a better world. In this respect, it has been working with local partner Haren Alde since 2006 on numerous projects relating to water and sanitation, mother and child health, and improvement of the health environment in homes.

The Project

The project aims to improve access to water for the residents of three rural communities, Laurelpampa, Iglesiapampa and Quidén, in the La Paccha district in the province of Chota, by building three drinking water systems. This will at the same time contribute to reducing illnesses prevalent amongst children and to covering the basic needs of the population.

These three systems will, through an agreement with the District Municipality of Paccha, use natural water sources from the highlands. Sediment filters will be built as required to eliminate any unwanted particles from the water.

The water tanks supplied will be provided with a chlorine drip feed to make the water safe to drink. A pipeline system will also be installed, so that by the end of the project every house in these communities will be connected to the water supply. The community will contribute to the project by digging up the necessary trenches for laying the pipes.

Reducing the incidence of diseases will also be achieved by improving hygiene practices within the home. The project will provide awareness-raising and training to beneficiaries (families and school children) on the importance of caring for the water resources and the environment, and of following good hygiene practices.

Service and Sanitation Management Boards (JASS in Spanish) will be set up or re-established. These community groups will guarantee sustainability of the project at community level, and it is therefore essential to strengthen the necessary capacities and encourage the involvement of women in these groups.