Shiringamazu, Peru

Shiringamazú is a Yanesha community reservation, home to approximately 1,100 people, in Peru. The communidad nativa, native community, is located to the east of the Andes Mountains, bordering the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest to the west.

The Need

Although the village is located in a wet climate, access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is limited. The community currently draws water from a combination of springs, shallow wells, and a local stream. Children often suffer from recurring waterborne intestinal disease, which affects their nutrition, growth, and school attendance. When adults fall ill, they are unable to work their land and provide for their families. Rural communities like Shiringamazu do not have the resources to easily treat and reduce infection. Additionally, during the dry season (July – November), the quantity of water is insufficient to meet their daily needs.

The Solution

Community leaders of Shiringamazu are working with EWB-DC and Reach Global to evaluate water sources in the community, and build a water distribution system. Once a water source is identified and evaluated, the team will finalize system design. This will likely entail a well, solar-powered pump, battery, storage tank, distribution pipes, and spigots throughout the community.

Progress

Project Adoption – March 15, 2018

EWB-DC and the community of Shiringamazu established a partnership to identify and access sources of potable water, treat and distribute water throughout the community, and build sanitary facilities to keep these water sources safe. Reach Global, a local NGO with ongoing initiatives in and around Shiringamazu, will help facilitate our partnership. 

Assessment Trip #1 – August 2018

During our trip, we established community contacts and located and tested 4 prominent water sources

Assessment Trip #2 – August 2019

We located and tested 18 water sources throughout the community. All of which tested positive for e-coli bacteria, used a drone to perform an aerial survey of the community, and met and established a working relationship with municipality officials.

Assessment Trip #3 – August 2021

After not visiting the community for two years due to the pandemic, we met with the community to re-engage and re-affirm our commitment to Shiringamazu. We met to determine the availability of land within the drainage basin that would likely yield the most water. With the community’s help, we installed piezometers and trained community members to maintain and read data from the piezometers, which will help determine the depth to the groundwater table and groundwater flow patterns. 

Assessment Trip #4 – August 2022

Following up from our prior trip, we worked with community members to determine if the three springs identified on the last trip, as well as a new hand-dug well, would provide sufficient flow and water quality to be considered feasible sources. We also spoke with community members to identify potential drill rig contractors who could construct a machine-dug well. 

Assessment Trip #5 – October 2023

On this trip, EWB worked with a local contractor to select an ideal site: one that would yield enough water, be far enough away from human activity to avoid contamination, and yet be close enough to the community for a pump. We finalized a location and began construction of a hand-dug well!

While work continues in Shiringamazu, our team continues to design the solar-powered pump, battery, storage tank, distribution pipes, and spigots throughout the community.

Get Involved

We are always looking for both technical and non-technical volunteers! Our team could use help with planning and design of a water treatment and distribution system – hydrogeologists, environmental engineers, and project managers, and help with fundraising. We are also looking for connections to the Peruvian embassy in Washington, DC!

Donate

Our team is raising funds to continue our project and commitment to Shiringamazu! We have raised $17,000 in the last few months and are looking to meet our target of $120,000. Please help us meet goal so that we can continue installation of a clean water system that will help over 400 families in need!