Ready for a Top Hat: Salitrillo Cistern Project

Day Three - 16th September 2016

It’s been two days since my last visit and I can’t believe the progress the build team has made. Not only has the concrete base of the cistern been set, but the walls of the cistern are up, and the metal work for the “gorro” or cap is laid out on the ground.

At this stage, you can see just how massive the finished cistern will be. Four workers are busy inside the cylinder applying the next-to-last coat of concrete. 

Cement is applied first in one direction (horizontal), then after a short period for layer-one cement to set up, a second layer is overlaid in the opposite direction (vertical). 

The bidirectional application makes for tough and water-tight walls. I am amazed to learn that, when full, the walls flex. Okay, the walls don’t actually bulge, but the ferro-cement expands dynamically under the weight of the water.

The “masa” or concrete mud for the gorro is mixed at a ratio of four parts cement to one-part sand, and significantly stiffer than the walls because the wet mix is applied directly to the metal mesh without the aid of plywood backing.

The gorro is equipped with an access door to permit maintenance on the interior of the cistern. 

And the exterior of the cistern is fitted with a clever, but commonsense water level gauge. A clear plastic hose will be connected between the water spigot at the bottom of the cistern and a narrow diameter pipe protruding from the top of the cistern. As the interior water level is drawn down, there is a corresponding drop in the water level in the transparent hose.

Recommended cistern maintenance consists of two primary elements: 1) yearly brushing of interior walls, and 2) if the catchment roof surface is of any material other than concrete or tin, then it must be repainted annually. 

Next stop, the final finish work.

Guest post by Roger Brudno.

Launched! Salitrillo Cistern Project

Day One - 13th September 2016

When Lee Carter and I arrive, the Salitrillo cistern build team had already laid out a base layer of chicken wire. As a first-time visitor to a cistern pilot, I’m excited to learn the basics of ferro-cement cistern construction.

Once completed, the cistern will hold 12,000 liters, harvesting enough water during one rainy season to serve all of the potable water needs, both drinking and cooking, for a family of 6-8 for a year.

It turns out that the metal structural elements of the cistern walls form a kind of layer cake—a layer of chicken wire folded over a layer of heavy-gauge iron mesh, then covered with a second layer of chicken wire all woven neatly together. Or rather, a layer cake that rolls up into a cylinder to create the walls of the cistern which are then set on a concrete base and lined with a temporary barrier of bendy plywood designed to support the application of an exterior coat of concrete until it dries.

Members of the community are hard at work weaving the chicken wire together under the watchful eye of Señor Abel, a technical expert from CEDESA in charge of teaching community members the basics of cistern construction. 

What stands out for me right away is the ratio of women to men in the work group: most of the team consists of women. And it’s obvious, that the team is already a well-oiled machine. Tasks are carried out with little discussion and a light-hearted atmosphere prevails.

This Salitrillo Pilot is cistern number 48 out of 319 cisterns funded by the Rotary Club’s recent Global Grant (GG1524911) and implemented in collaboration with CEDESA and COCIRA. 

It’s the first cistern for this little community of just 52 families. A total of eight cisterns are planned for Salitrillo. Once the core group is trained, they will cooperate to assist their neighbors with subsequent cisterns. Señor Abel from CEDESA will then make weekly visits to monitor progress and ensure quality-control.

Guest post by Roger Brudno.

Nombre de Dios Cistern Project Completion Celebration – August 13, 2016

Approximately 50 people - friends & neighbors - came together today to celebrate the completion of the last of five cisterns. 

The night was full of rain & the road there was sometimes good & sometimes a muddy slip-sliding mess, but a 90 minute drive got us there. The day was overcast with a breeze & chairs were set up in a large circle under a large Mesquite tree. The view to the west to get to Guanajuato was beautiful. Everything green from recent rains. The cisterns already had 2 feet of water.

After thanks to the people coming, CEDESA, COCIRA, & Rotary Club Midday, the people all held hands & gave (one at a time) thanks. Some took longer but you were allowed to pass the “prayer” to the next person. 

The nice thing about travelling is seeing how people are the same but different. This prayer circle was a perfect example. They all held hands left under and right over. After “prayer” we all went to three cisterns close by & had ribbon cutting with the owners. 

One elderly woman, instead of materials for a cistern, received a tinaco (large plastic container) because she would not be able to do the work of building a cistern. 

Lunch was a potluck type where all families come together with rice, tortilla, mole, beans, macaroni & ham, beef, horchata (a rice drink with cinnamon), & pineapple water.

Lee Carter, Nate Fultz, Beatriz Salcedo from Rotary attended as did Carla Cadena, intern/administrator of GG1524911.

Guest Report by Nate Fultz, President Midday Rotary Club SMA

And So It Begins...GG1524911 Progress Report – April 10, 2016

We are full forces ahead in getting our new Global Grant for US$199,400 for the next 319 water harvesting systems in the Independence Aquifer. 

The first step in this grant is to develop a comprehensive education program to teach beneficiaries about water & water safety. The program also includes cistern construction & maintenance.

We have contracted with Wendy Coulson, a professional curriculum writer & an experienced teacher in the Waldorf method to help us develop the program but more importantly the teaching methods to use in making this program as effective as possible. Wendy is also a Rotary Peace Scholar.

Alejandro Guerra & Lee Carter have been working with Wendy for several weeks in filling in the blanks for the program. CEDESA has been consulted constantly as they will be the “teacher” &their buy-in & enthusiasm is critical for the success of the program.

On Wednesday, April 6^th, Alejandro, Wendy & I traveled to CEDESA headquarters to present our final “draft”. At this point the didactic method is written down on paper & we wanted to hear from CEDESA & UCCANG about how to proceed. In addition to that, we wanted to discuss the didactic materials that we will develop along with this. Present from CEDESA were Chela Martinez, Director, Meche Paramo, coordinator for COCIRA,  Cecilia Vazquez, Coordinator for UCCANG, & Abel Seratze, Cedesa technician for cistern construction. Araceli Rojas, President of UCCANG also joined us.

It was a long day in project planning as well as presentation of the education program. We arrived at 9:00 am & finished at 5:00 pm. I felt very anxious that CEDESA be truly excited about the education program. Upon leaving we all felt that we were right on track & we had very valuable input from CEDESA throughout the day. Wendy is following up with Meche about various details next week. Once everyone’s input is incorporated in our plan, we will have our next project planning meeting on Friday, April 22 at CEDESA. We will be finalizing the education plan & also planning out the details of the grant including the communities where we will start, billing and administrative issues, & so forth.

This project will be a lot of work but it will be a lot of fun as well. I have seen both Meche & Abel since that meeting &I have been communicating with Ceci also. All three have independently said how excited they are with the new education program. I think we are doing well.

Lee Carter

Rotary San Miguel Midday

March 28, 2016 COCIRA DIRECTOR’S MEETING CIENEGA DE JUANA RUIZ

10:00 am CIENEGA DE JUANA RUIZ

Today Lee Carter, Rotary, traveled to meet with the Directors of COCIRA & talk about the newly approved Global Grant (GG1524911) for 319 more cisterns in San Miguel, Dolores Hidalgo & San Diego Union. 

The grant is for US$199,400 (approx. MXN3,500,000).

There were approx 29 people present incl. Meche from CEDESA. After everyone presented themselves, we had a moment of reflection before beginning the meeting. A meeting leader was elected as well as the Secretary of the Day. Following that the agenda & a time schedule for finishing the meeting by 2:30 was established.

Meche emphasized the importance of COCIRA to continue to develop its independence & to look at CEDESA & Rotary as resources while they made their own decisions in things that affected the organization.

Lee Carter announced that the next grant for 319+ cisterns had been approved & explained that the Rotary Foundation would like to have a MOU with COCIRA and UCCANG in addition to CEDESA. This is important as it formalizes all of the responsibilities that COCIRA has been taking on over the course of the last water project. Lee presented the list of responsibilities that he recommended for the MOU & after discussing them in detail, COCIRA was in favor of all.

COCIRA for its part is asking Rotary to provide them with the didactic materials developed for the new grant so that they can use these as they continue to evaluate all of the cisterns built since 2008. COCIRA is committed to completing their role in the whole water harvesting process. As we have budgeted printing hundreds of extra copies of didactic materials in the next grant, I believe that we can provide them with what they need without having to increase our printing budget or seeking additional funding outside of the grant.

COCIRA further discussed the “rules & guidelines” that they would like to place on beneficiary families including a simple contract between COCIRA & the beneficiary that they would complete their obligations & work. Other rules were suggested that would ensure that beneficiaries completed their obligations in both the education program & in the construction process.

It is a great pleasure seeing COCIRA carrying out their role with such vigor & enthusiasm to ensure that this next project will be a great success.

Lee Carter

Rotary San Miguel Midday