Nicaragua

Water Distribution Project

Silvio Mayorga, Nicaragua

In 2016, Tufts EWB began a project to build a new water tower for the Nicaraguan village of Silvio Mayorga.  Previously, the community’s primary sources of water had been an old water tower and some small wells.  However, the water from the wells had a dangerously high concentration of calcium, and the water tower’s tank had only half the capacity needed to supply the entire town, so households had to alternate daily between using the water tower and using wells.  The tower would also buckle if the tank was filled up past about two thirds of its maximum volume, its rusted metal frame was cutting into the plastic tank, and the inside of the tank had been contaminated by materials used to make repairs.

The members of Tufts EWB worked to brainstorm ways to help the community, and the final decision was to design and build a new water tower for the community.  After a few Covid-related bumps, construction was completed in May of 2021.  The new water tower can hold roughly three times as much water as the previous tank, can withstand extreme weather, and is much easier and safer to access when repairs were needed.  

In January 2024, the water tower was monitored and evaluated by three representatives of the EWB Nicaragua County Office. Water quality tests at the tower and household level were done to ensure the functionality and safety of the tower. Interviews were conducted with the people of  Silvio Mayorga which determined that they were very satisfied with EWB’s work and that the new installation had a positive impact on their community. Currently, Tufts EWB is working on adding a water chlorinator to further improve the quality of the water that is distributed to the Silvio Mayorga community. 

Meetings on Mondays at 9 PM in Anderson 208

The Latin America chapter is beginning a project in the Villa el Carmen region of Nicaragua, an hour and a half outside Managua. We are partnering with Reserva Silvestre Quelantaro, a wildlife refuge working on environmental protection and sustainable development in Nicaragua. We plan to build a water system for the community including a pump, storage tank, and distribution system.