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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula March 30, 2006   Text © 2006 Keweenaw Now, with information from Michigan Tech University Engineers Without Borders. Photos on this page © 2006 Kurt Paterson, and courtesy MTU Engineers Without Borders. Reprinted with permission.

Page 2: MTU's Engineers Without Borders helps Bolivian school: more photos

Here are more photos of the Engineers Without Borders, Michigan Tech chapter, Bolivia project.

Construction included a 4 m by 10 m drainage field consisting of a level distribution pipe and three 10-m, 4-inch PVC pipes laid in gravel-lined trenches. The pipes had ½-inch holes placed approximately every 0.5-1 meter in length, with the largest spacing at the upstream end of the pipes. Bed sheets were used as the "geo-textile" to separate the gravel from the overlying sandy fill, which was mounded to prevent ponding of rainfall.

This photo shows the layout of the site, with the drainfield in the foreground and the toilet house in the background. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

In scheduling the project tasks, top priority was given to the septic tank and drainage field, as the septic system was considered to be a technology somewhat unfamiliar to the local community.

EWB member Beth Myre and Prof. Kurt Paterson work on the septic tank for Buen Samaritano School. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

The 2 m by 1.5 m by 4 m septic tank is constructed of brick and mortar, with a reinforced concrete lid.

Steel bars are tied for use in reinforced concrete lids for the septic tank. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

A 1.5 m by 1.5 m brick patio was placed around the existing tap stand, surrounded by a 0.3-m wide gravel-filled trench to prevent surface ponding.

Prof. David Watkins, left, and EWB member Brandon Braithwaite set bricks in place. A small brick patio was built around the base of the existing water tap on site. Water lines were also run to the new toilets and hand-washing basins. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

Students, professors and local community members worked together to build a 3.5 m by 6.5 m restroom facility with four separate rooms (3 flush toilets and 1 flush urinal). This facility includes a 1.5 m by 6.5 m concrete porch with two sinks for hand washing. The toilets, urinal and sinks are all connected to the piped water supply on site. (Water quality tests at this site by the ISD students indicated no fecal coliform in the water supply, which is provided by a regional cooperative.)

EWB member Beth Myre shows off her bricklaying skills on the latrine building. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

Upon the travel team’s departure from Santa Cruz, the septic tank, drainage field, and brick patio were completed, and the bathroom facilities were laid out and about 60% completed. The necessary materials and funds to complete the bathrooms were entrusted to Mr. Eid Ortiz, and EWB has since received confirmation that this portion of the project is complete and operational. Key members of the community, including the site foreman, school principal, and neighborhood president and past-president, were provided instructions for system operation and maintenance. Routine maintenance includes only pumping the tank every 2-3 years, and in the event of clogging, flushing the drainage pipes. 

EWB member Laura Oman poses with her new friend, Erman, during a break in the construction. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

Although the project is not maintenance-free, routine pumping of the septic tank is a need that is familiar to the local community. Traditional Bolivian septic systems include a small tank for solids collection, followed by a pozo ciego, or drainage pit. Pump trucks are available for hire in the City of Santa Cruz, and the cost of emptying the septic tank is estimated to be $30 US. Although this cost is not trivial, the community understands the importance of system maintenance and the need to budget accordingly.

The school's new bathroom. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

Editor's notes: More photos of the Bolivia project can be seen in a slide show on the Engineers Without Borders, MTU Chapter, Web site. Watch for a Viewpoints column by Brandon Braithwaite, EWB member and participant in the Bolivia project, coming soon.

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