Five years ago an organization donated an aqueduct for the community of Pacora. This aqueduct was supposed to distribute water for 3 communities, a total of 150 people.

However, the organization ran out of funds to build the aqueduct and could never finish the water system. Without knowledge, the communities disconnected the pipe to put it in a creek. Since then, these communities have been taking water from a creek for five years.

Therefore, these communities and their political officers requested that NIDA help finish this aqueduct so that they would have clean water.

Thanks to the support of the UTP (Technological University of Panama) in Azuero and Professor Morán, we were able to complete the technological adjustments and installation of the water systems!

Clean and healthy water for la Colorada, in Herrera:

In May 22 of 2009, NIDA’s team traveled to the community of La Colorada to begin measuring for the installation of the aqueduct system. Although they didn’t have all the suitable instruments to measure the system correctly, the team measured the elevation (+/- 30 feet), the distance of pipe needed (from the water tank to the tank in the first house), and study the adjustments needed for the system (in the water tank and the pressure boxes.

About the system: The distance needed for the pipe was 790 meters (2591 feet). Altogether there is a total slope of 189 feet (a slope of 267 feet, and at the end an ascent of 90 feet). The adjustments of the system were to cover the floors and the walls in the deposit room with cement, stainless meshes, clay particle filters, and cleaning systems.

Thanks to the help of the community of La Colorada, Professor Morán from UTP, and CDNA (Community Development Network of the Americas) we were able to buy and install the materials to finish this project.

Rainwater system in Pan de Azúcar, los Pozos:

Amanda Gabster, Franklin Montilla, and a group of volunteers of NIDA traveled on September 24th of 2010 to Pan de Azúcar in Los Pozos, Herrera with the task to educate the community about the importance of potable water.

The meeting was held in the elementary school and a member of the Peace Corp Kaila Drayton organized it. In this meeting we explained the importance of getting potable water for the schools and the community in order to avoid buds of different diseases.

At the moment our organization is making feasibility studies for the construction of a Rainwater System in the School of Pan de Azúcar.

Rainwater system installed in Quebrada del Rosario, Las Minas:

In November 12th of 2009, a rainwater system was installed in the elementary school of de Quebrada del Rosario. This school is the education house for 120 children and adolescents that did not count on potable water since the aqueduct left positive for E.coli in tested water.

The team lead by Erick Camaño, Amanda Gabster and Franklin Montilla was awarded a scholarship from the construction group “Ashoka” for this project. This water system is a sustainable project, which its component is to make money in order to provide a similar rainwater system for other schools in the area.

We thank the help of “Ashoka” company and Change makers to be able to fulfill this project. 

Also, the community that they wanted to sow; therefore, we took two of our volunteers specialized in breeding grounds, Anita and Zena, to help them to complete this task. We seeded more than 300 papaya trees, which will be sold next year.