La Tribuna - Water Distribution System
Joyabaj, Guatemala
The La Tribuna community is on the edge of the municipality of Joyabaj. In the years leading up to this project, Joyabaj's municipal water system had not been able to keep up with the population growth, and La Tribuna received water about once per month at unpredictable times out of their municipal taps. To make up for this, the city sent a water truck to the homes 1-3 times per week.
For more information on the project and the August 2017 Assessment Trip, visit our Sway.
However, the water from the truck was river water. It was dirty and not potable, so families had to collect rainwater or purchase water jugs from the store. Even with all these efforts, the community reported an average of 15 cases of gastrointestinal diseases per week, most likely linked to low-quality water.
During the 2017-2018 school year, EWB-Marquette partnered with the La Tribuna community to design a water tank and chlorination system for the water distribution system. Over the summer of 2018, a group of members traveled to La Tribuna to implement the construction of the tank. In September 2018, the community worked with EWB-Guatemala to finish construction, and by December 2019 the entire system was up and running, which included conduction and distribution lines, pumps, and meters. The water distribution tank and chlorination system serves over 300 families in the community of La Tribuna.