Bolivia: Water System Upgrade

Author(s)

• Derek Barklay, University of Dayton
• Abigail Bruning, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Alex D'Angelo, University of Dayton
• John Simoneaux, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Olivia Stehr, Georgia Institute of Technology

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

8-4-2018

Abstract

Fundación Ingenieros en Acción (FIEA) is a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of rural communities in need through sustainable programs that build their capacity while also helping to develop global awareness among program participants. This work is possible due to the continued support of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia, among other donors.

Timusí is a rural community in Bolivia of approximately 300 people which has been facing issues related to its existing water system. The current demands the community is placing on the water system are exceeding the supply provided by the source. There are leaks in the main water lines which cause significant water loss in the system. Additionally, the lower portion of the community is experiencing low water pressure and generally lower quality water access than the portion of the community living at higher elevation, due to the fact that the lower portion has access to a service line as opposed to a main water line. These issues are all greatly exaggerated during the dry season, when the community experiences extreme water scarcity.

The objectives of this report are to analyze the current state of the existing water distribution network including its effectiveness and quality of water, to propose improvements to the water distribution network to ensure increased access and water quality, and to evaluate alternative solutions to the water distribution network and their feasibility.

The project team took three trips to the community in order to gather the necessary information to design an improved water system. The team gathered topographic information about the terrain and infrastructure of the community, conducted a census of the community members to understand the current water needs and access, and took water samples to test for various parameters. The water appeared to be of satisfactory quality, with the exception of traces of arsenic which appeared to be in the community’s water sources. Additional samples were collected and sent to a laboratory and upon further inspection no significant amount of arsenic was found. Once this information was gathered, multiple designs were created and analyzed using EPANET and AutoCad Civil3D.

Of the two alternatives the team designed, the one this report recommends that the community adopts is the second alternative, which is the open network. The design follows the existing water distribution system while altering the pipe diameters, so, this alternative would be simpler to install, and it is estimated to cost slightly less than the other alternative. Additionally, an open network appears to be more appropriate for the layout of the community and would allow for simpler operation of the system.

eCommons Citation

Barklay, Derek; Bruning, Abigail; D'Angelo, Alex; Simoneaux, John; and Stehr, Olivia, "Bolivia: Water System Upgrade" (2018). ETHOS Technical Reports. 99.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/ethos_reports/99