UPDATE: Solar Disinfection (SODIS) Pilot Program

During our November 2014 trip, EWB-USA Philadelphia implemented a SODIS pilot with thirty two (32) families from different sectors as participants. Families were selected before our arrival to the community by Gloria Opinaldo, one of the community members.

In April 2015, EWB-USA Philadelphia was able to interview twenty-three (23) of the families that were participating on our SODIS pilot program.

Graph 1. Families Using SODIS

Of the five (5) that stopped using SODIS, three (3) are buying bottled water and one (1) is boiling their water before drinking, and one (1) is drinking water directly from the well will no treatment. Other families are using boiling and buying bottled water in addition to using SODIS.

One of our concerns is that, although explained during our presentation, many families are treating their water for less than the 24-hr recommended treatment period. This was stressed during our survey visits.

Graph 2. Hours of Treatment

Saint Louis College will continue conducting a check-in survey every three months to each family.  Our team will also make an effort to expand the pilot program as many community members expressed interest in using solar disinfection to treat their water.

Check-in survey interview by Loyda García

              Federico Obillo, a community member currently using SODIS

Tippy-Taps: A new sanitation approach for the community of Apatut

     Robert DiFilippo and I visited Apatut last April. One of our goals for the trip was to build a tippy-tap at the community elementary school and to present the students with effective sanitation practices. Tippy-taps were first developed by Dr. Jim Watt of the Salvation Army in Chiweshe, Zimbabwe¹ and are now used in several developing countries. They also have proven to be a great solution for increasing hand washing and reducing the occurrence of diarrhea and other illnesses; especially among kids.

     Around 60 students and their parents attended the tippy-tap construction seminar at the elementary school. Zenaida Ollero and Maria Gracia Alejo, two of the school teachers, helped us organize the event and several parents helped with looking for local materials for the tippy-tap construction. The materials used for the construction were branches, bamboo, rope and a plastic container which are all readily available. The tippy-tap was built near the school playground with the intention that the students wash their hands after using the latrines and before going back to the classroom after recess.   

                                                                   

                                                     Students at the tippy-tap presentation

                                       Tippy-tap frame built with tree branches and bamboo

                                                                   Finished tippy-tap

                                     One of the teachers washing her hands with the tippy-tap

     After the construction of the tippy-tap, the students participated in a drawing competition which topic was sanitation. The teachers at the school selected the six (6) best drawings; three (3) girls and three (3) boys. We were very impressed at the students’ perception of sanitation. They drew kids brushing their teeth, washing their hands, brushing their hair and taking a bath.  Hopefully this presentation serves as a reminder of the role that sanitation has in community health and more tippy-taps will be built around the community!  

                                                       Students drawing about sanitation

                                                           One of the winning drawings

¹ http://akvopedia.org/wiki/Tippy_Tap

Tippy Taps 101: The Basics

During the most recent assessment trip to Apatut in November 2014, the teachers at the community's elementary school requested a Tippy Tap for student and faculty use. A Tippy Tap functions as a sink in places where running water may not be available. Therefore, in lieu of a sink, a Tippy Tap is essential for promoting proper hygiene and reducing the rate of illness such as chronic diarrhea and even pneumonia. Tippy Taps are incredibly easy to make and require very few construction materials, leading to proven success in developing areas worldwide. Speaking from personal experience, they are also very fun to use! By installing one at the school, our team and the supporting professors at Apatut Elementary School hope to reinforce essential hygiene skills to the children who will, in turn, spread the information to the rest of the community, perhaps even building their own. This will lead to a healthier (and happier) community!

There are variety of methods to design Tippy Taps but they all essentially boil down to the same basic supplies: four sticks, a Jerry can, string, rocks, something sharp to poke holes with, a shovel, a bar of soap, and water. Once completed, the Jerry can is supported by a stick, held up by two other sticks. A piece of string is tied around the neck of the Jerry can and attached to a separate stick on ground, this stick acts as a foot pedal. When someone steps on the stick on the ground, the string pulls the Jerry can down and allows water to flow out of the can (similar to faucet!). The foot pedal is extremely important because it eliminates the need to touch the water and the can, preventing contamination from dirty hands. Next to the can is a bar of soap attached to the same stick by a string. The hanging soap is long enough to reach under the flowing water allowing users to wash their hands, yet does not touch the ground. Under the flow of water is some sort of gravel which prevents the ground from getting muddy and becoming a breeding ground for mosquitos. When the Jerry can runs out of water it can be refilled and put back in service immediately! 

Below are some pictures of Tippy Taps I used in India, along with some instructional diagrams from sources such as the CDC depicting different construction methods. Currently, EWB- Philadelphia is working on constructing a pilot Tippy Tap model of our own to ascertain the best construction method. We plan to construct one on our next trip in April 2015 by working with community members of all ages, and in the process of team-building, continue laying the foundation for a strong working relationship within Apatut.

Sources:  CDC "Tippy Taps" / Lifewater International "Tippy Tap II"

 

Tippy Taps in India (Photographer: Melissa Shinbein)

*****  

November 2014 - Travel Team #2: "We have a well"

EWB-Philadelphia Travel Team #2 consisted of me and Loyda Garcia; and professional hydrogeologist Bob DiFilippo remained with us in Apatut, Balaoan since arriving the week before. Exciting times for both Loyda and I, as it was her first time in the Philippines, and my second trip here (November 2012).  It was warming to know that many of the residents had remembered me, as I remembered them, including the children.  Thinking back to the experience and general hospitality from my first trip, the return to Robert Osoteo’s guest house felt like another home.

On our first day, Loyda and I met with Bob at the well site to oversee the drilling progress of the well. where 100-meters below ground was reached.  We also walked the community with resident Cristino to also examine design conflicts of our proposed piping system; this included concrete/driveway obstructions and stream crossings.  Many photos were taken to develop a “street view” of target areas to give a visual for our project members back home in Philly and to assist with progressing the overall water distribution layout.

"Street view" maps of design conflicts.

A (steep) hike up to the tank site.

A walk through Apatut, observing design/piping layout issues.

Like Kim, Steve, and Bob the week before us, we met with the professors and administration of the local Saint Louis College (SLC) in the San Fernando City. The professors expressed their interest in participating in surveying the storage tank site, assisting with the design review and procurement process.  In addition, prior to our arrival to the country, Professor Leonora Quarte and several of her students had already agreed to collaborate with our team in a solar disinfection (SODIS) public health initiative, as an interim water treatment measure while the project implementation is underway.

Household solar disinfection (SODIS) concept.
(Source: waterschool.com)

The next day (11/18), we met with 34 families at the Apatut community center. These families would be participants in our SODIS pilot program and were selected before we arrived to Apatut by resident Gloria. During our informal meeting with the participating families we gave them an overview of how the SODIS method works, along with and good water storage practices. EWB-USA Philadelphia distributed two-liter bottles per member of the family.  This was also a great opportunity for residents, SLC, and us to directly connect on a personal level (well, in addition to the barangay's basketball game Balaoan that evening; it's a family affair!).  Afterwards, we hung around for some snacks and sodas!  Good times.

Walt, Loyda, and SLC students handing SODIS bottles to residents.

Saint Louis College students assisting with translating and collecting health survey information.

Walt, Loyda, Professor Quarte, and SLC student volunteers.

After the presentation, Professor Quarte and her SLC students conducted a baseline health and sanitation survey prepared by EWB-USA Philadelphia to each family.  Saint Louis College continue to conduct a monthly check-in survey to each family. 

Wednesday, November 19^th, Team 2 also visited the Apatut elementary school, which was well-received by both the teachers and students.   Our intent of the visit to education the students proper sanitation and hygiene practices, as well as how to take care and maintain clean the school’s latrine areas. 267 students, from grades K through 6th participated in the presentation. We kept the presentation interactive and fun, including a germ transmission game (using chalk) and card games. Ms. Zenaida Ollero, fifth and sixth grade teacher, helped us moderate and translate the presentation. 

Loyda leading efforts in some fun
sanitation education games. 

 

Groundwater well development progressed during the week, although it was ultimately not completed due to logistical issues.  The pump onsite was not big enough to give us a true yield of the well.  However, with the in-country drilling contractor, we were able to perform an eight-hour continuous flow rate pump test and confirm that the well is viable with at least 20 gallons per minute (gpm) flowing, which is the minimum we were looking for.  We have water!  The team's return to Apatut in April 2015 will focus on well completion, step-drawdown aquifer testing with a larger pump to confirm the definitive yield of the well, which will also help our engineering/design subteam appropriately size the storage tanks that are part of the proposed infrastructure.

Bob  overseeing well development.

We have water!!! Even more than anticipated.

During our last day in the community, we followed up and met one of teachers who expressed their desire to build “tippy-tap” hand-washing stations at the school during our next trip to encourage good sanitation practices among the school students.  Ms. Ollero is willing help lead the efforts in implementation of the tippy-taps and getting the support of the Parents-Teachers Association to help us with the construction during the next trip; we currently have project members from our public health team designing and constructing sustainable test models at Temple University.

Concept drawing of the "Tippy Tap" hand washing station.
(Source: tippytap.org)

Before departing, we also met with the leaders from the seven sectors of the community to summarize what has been accomplished up to this date and to receive their feedback on the current status of the project; this is a community-driven project, and their input is essential for the program success. They expressed concerns regarding the fact that the project has taken longer than expected. At the same time, they recognized our work as volunteers, the in-country logistical issues that occur (a lesson that every EWB-USA chapter has experience in some way) and expressed how they feel confident that we will continue visiting the community and working on finishing the project.

Walt, Loyda, Edgardo (our NGO from Rotary) with the
Apatut sector leads after a brief meeting.

After the meeting with the leaders, Team #2 mobilized to Manila to meet with one of our NGO partners, the Rotary Club of Suburban East Rizal, near Manila. We presented an overview of the progress of the project and what was accomplished during the November 2014 trip. They were very impressed with our work and persistence and reassured that we will continue receiving their support during the next phases of the project.

Basketball is #1 in the Philippines. That, and the food there,
is something we can easily connect with.

This is a very large and complex project , and moreso by the fact that we are EWB-USA's first ever chapter with a project in the Philippines; that said, the EWB-Philly Professionals Chapter is making continuous progress towards a final solution to address the community’s water supply needs.  The residents were overjoyed with our interactive programs to give them a voice in community development, along with the preliminary results of the aquifer testing, and is very eager to see the construction phase of this project commence.  To further strengthen community ties, we created an internal Facebook group between our team and Apatut to exchange pictures, updates, and general “Hellos!” 

This project, and EWB-USA’s mission/vision in general, takes on a holistic approach.  It’s not simply about engineering aspect, we go way outside those borders (get it?). There’s a social impact component to our mission, which is often more integral than the design itself.

Empowering residents, they in turn empowering us through personal exchanges, has a tremendous personal and social impact.  From the town-hall meetings, to the barangay walk-throughs, pickup basketball games, and sharing a meal, it was another transformative experience for me (and for Loyda as well).   

Our next implementation trip is anticipated for April 2015.  Stay tuned for an upcoming post of the April travel's pre-trip preparation, including lessons learned from the November 2014 trip that led us to defined the scope of work for the team's next return!

November 2014 Trip - Travel Team #1

I traveled to Apatut in November, as a part of the first travel team, along with Bob DiFlippo and Steve Kim. Having never been to the Philippines, or anywhere else in Asia, I did quite a bit of "Googling" before the trip, and I quickly learned how diverse this country is. It is comprised of over 7,000 islands with over 170 different languages!

© Eugene Alvin Villar, 2003.

We flew into Manila, which has many of the things you would find in any American city (yes, they’ve got Starbucks..  even Krispy Kreme!). From there, we traveled to the Ilocos Region, to the Barangay (village) Apatut. This is a beautiful and rural area. Common sights include cows and goats grazing in the fields, with a view of the mountains off into the distance. The Barangay is divided into 7 Sectors, each with a welcome sign to distinguish one sector from the next.

 

View from my window

As for food, I definitely ate better in the Barangay than I do at home. The food is very fresh and flavorful. I've been craving adobo and pancit bihon since we left! On the way back to Manila, I was introduced to the infamous balut. Although, I must admit, I was not brave enough to try it; Edgardo seemed to enjoy it. 

Balut

During our time in Apatut, we oversaw  the well development and met with various program partners. We met with members of the engineering department at Saint Louis College, in preparation for the Solar Disinfection program taking place the next week. We talked to the Baloan Water District, to learn about how water distribution systems are typically constructed in the Philippines. We also met with members of the San Fernando Rotary. 

Drilling Rig

Meeting at Saint Louis College

One of the tasks carried out by travel team #1 was walking the proposed route of the water pipeline, paying particular attention to the road and stream crossings. The original drawings, in the 2010 design, show the pipeline going under all stream and road crossings, without cutting through the road. 

The stream crossings have a much greater depth than I expected. If the pipe went underneath, there would be significant elevation dips in the pipeline at every stream crossing. 

Edgardo at an intermittent stream crossing

 

Stream crossing

There were many road crossings in the proposed route, more than previous maps show. Some areas have cinder block walls right up against the road. There is also considerable vegetation planted along the roads, banana trees and crops. The area on either side of the road is used as a stormwater drainage area as well. We have to consider the likelihood of soil washing out during severe storm events and exposing the pipe to debris. 

Crossing the road itself will provide its own challenges. The road has a significant foundation, of various depths. The drawings from the 2010 design show the pipeline being drilled under the road, without having to cut through it. We will have to reevaluate the previous design of the distribution system, taking into account what we’ve learned during this past trip.

Barangay Road

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working on the Water for Life Project in Apatut. I would like to say thanks to everyone we met and worked with in the Philippines. Now that we've confirmed that there is in fact water in the well (hooray!), I am eager to work with EWB-Philly on the next steps of this project.

Gloria and I at a basketball game