Sunday, April 24, 2016

Vivienda de Abajo – 12 cisterns project GG1422619 & Amigas de Vivienda

Materials are being supplied by a private group calling themselves “Amigas de Vivienda”. Rotary is financing the education, training and  project management through GG1422619.

Progress at Vivienda is going well. The pilot is finished & now all wrapped up in plastic sheeting to allow the cement to cure at a slower rate which should increase its strength as well as reduce hairline cracking that sometimes takes place with ferro-cement construction. It is an experiment & I am curious to see if it works. Cisterns 2 & 3 are almost complete.

We have put several new innovations into practice with this project:

  1. painted the galvanized nipples with Eco-Prim a special material that will allow the cement to adhere to the galvanized.
  2. added a more “convenient” first flush mechanism that will likely result in more people using the first flush as a way to divert water from a dirty roof.
  3. plan to add a cement pad under the first flush so a tambor (barrel) can be placed there to collect this water for non-cooking & non-drinking uses. The pad will also discourage erosion around the cistern.
  4. produced a sizing chart so families will know how much water to divert.
  5. improved the door design for ease of installation
  6. added mosquito netting to the overflow pipe.
  7. will put a cement pad under the spigot to improve cleanliness and reduce chances of bio-contamination.
  8. wrapping the cisterns with shrinkwrap.
  9. changed from 3 inch PVC to 4 inch PVC for only a $115 peso price increase. This will make gutters capable of carrying more water & make the installation more secure.
Photos of the pilot cistern and cisterns 2 & 3 can be seen on this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/103368367507077443111/6276876235386985009

Lee Carter
San Miguel Midday Rotary.

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