Panama Team
Project details
The Panama team is working with the community of Valle Escondido, Bocas del Toro Province in northwest Panama! We recently completed our second Implementation Trip to provide better quality and more reliable water to the community. We split the redesign and reconstruction of the water system into two phases:
The first phase was completed in September 2024. During our implementation trip, we:
-
Cleared hilltop to install four water tanks totaling 40,000L of water storage
-
Installed 970 meters of PVC pipe including buried 4" mainline and 2" branches
-
Added inline chlorine water treatment to eliminate bacteria
The community members then connected individual households to the mainline themselves.
Though we planned to install a spring box to protect the source water on this first trip, our design did not account for groundwater shoaling from beneath as well as behind the spring box. Additionally, we aimed to add additional water storage to the system.
Thus, during our next implementation trip we:
-
Installed an additional 30,000L of water storage. This will ensure the system has a day's worth of water for the community 20 years into the future
-
Installed a subsurface collection system consisting of a perforated pipe surrounded by gravel and geotextile fabric to collect water from all directions
-
Replaced and buried the 2” mainline piping from the springs to the tanks
After completing these two phases the entire community will have reliable access to clean water. The team will continue monitoring, supporting, and working with the community to ensure the success of the project.
Project History
Start of Project
2020
Floating Doctors reached out to the UCSB EWB student chapter.
Assessment Trip
March 2022
Our team traveled to Valle Escondido to meet the community and conduct a site assessment to better understand how we can effectively and sustainably provide clean water to the community. After spending a week with the community, conducting oral surveys about community illness and water needs, as well as evaluating available water sources (quantity and quality via broad sampling campaigns), we found the community to be greatly struggling to supply enough water to all its members. Many members have to drink from the small stream pool where they also bathe, wash clothes, and which is frequented by animals. We observed high concentrations of bacteria in the streams and other sources used by the community.
Design Phase
2022-2024
After assessing the water issues of the community, we determined the best solution was to a reconstruct their water distribution system. We modeled the system based on a topographical survey of the community. Then we calculated the proper pipe sizing and added air valves and blowoff valves according to the hydraulic grade line. This ensured the system would have sufficient flow unobstructed by head loss, trapped air, or sediment.
Implementation Trip
Phase 1
September 2024
During this implementation, we constructed phase 1 of the project. We worked alongside the community and Floating Doctors to build over a kilometer of pipe, install the new tanks, and add chlorination within 2 weeks.
About the community
Valle Escondido is a beautiful community located on the island of Isla Cristobal in the Bocas Del Toro Province and consists of around 40 homes and 400 members. Typically, 10 people live in each 1-2 room house. The community consists mainly of the Ngäbe people, a culturally rich indigenous population in Panama. They are primarily an agronomic society and many community members work on farms in Valle. Numerous cacao and banana plants can be found in Valle, along with livestock including cows, pigs, and chickens. Some members also work on the mainland and take a 40-minute boat ride to work every day.
More Pictures
