Casa Nueva Vida is a residential facility for the treatment of alcoholism and drug dependency located in the department of Quiche, one of the most terrorized areas during Guatemala’s 36-year civil war. One of the many long-lasting effects of horrific years of violence is an increase in alcoholism and drug dependency. Casa Nueva Vida aims to prevent and rehabilitate these dependencies.

Each year, the center serves 18 in-patients and 18 out-patients in addition to providing support for family members. Patients first undergo in-patient therapy including 3 months of diagnostics, 6 months of rehabilitation, 3 months of separation in which the patients are re-acclimated into society, and finally 6 months of reinsertion where the patient has daily check-ins at the center. In addition to physical and psychological healing, residents receive training in areas such as agriculture, carpentry, tailoring, and bread making.

The center pumped water from a hand-dug well. However, the cost of electricity and the unreliability of the local utility significantly affect water supply and usage. The center needed a more reliable and cost-effective power source for the water system in order to effectively serve more patients The project site was assessed during the 2006-2007 academic year. Phase 1 installation included installation of a solar-powered water pump at the holding tank, a submersible water pump in the well, and arrays of solar panels to power both pumps.