Water For Humans

Meeting with the Oaxaca Finance Minister

2012-01-11T12:04:00.001-08:00

Juan Jose (the director of INSO) met with the Finance Minister of Oaxaca on Monday night to discuss our proposal to help the State with some of its water and sanitation challenges. We have been working on this proposal for many months now and working hard to secure a discussion with Mr Cagija after we were hosted by him in earlier last Fall.

Our proposal is a four part plan to help the Minister better understand the water and sanitation situation in Oaxaca and proved him with sustainable solutions. Our proposal covers:

Develop a strategy for water and sanitation for the central valley
Review the existing wastewater treatment plants and determine if they can be brought up to federal standards.
Provide the Minister with a framework (technical, economic, environmental, sustainability) to evaluate new water and sanitation projects.
Plan the implementation of pilot projects to demonstrate the technology innovations outlined in our strategy.

Like many things in Mexico they move much slower than here in the US. Thus, we are cautiously optimistic that we can secure this contact within the next few months.

SAVE THE DATE Feb 9th!!!

2012-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

SAVE DATE THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9th 7-9PM

Celebrate
The gift of safe water

February 9th
7:00-9:00 pm
Seattle University Student center

Live music, silent & live auction, and key note speakers with

Easy parking on James just across the street

Tickets: $25 (includes a raffle ticket)

Water for Humans is a 501 3(c) non-profit
supporting sustainable water & sanitation projects.

For more information: www.WaterForHumans.org

With roadblocks settlers claimed water

2011-12-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

TIME
'2011-12-15 '
With roadblocks settlers claimed water
Ivan Castellanos

The protesters closed Crespo cruise and Allende. Photos: Taurine

[8:01] Inhabitants of the colony Monte Albán blocked access to the Direct Administration of Public Works and Water Services and Sewerage of the City of Oaxaca (Adosapaco) and closed the crossing on Crespo street and Allende, to require restore the water service was suspended them for over two months.

Miguel Angel Vazquez Carmona, treasurer of Life Committee Neighborhood (live together), reported that dependency is not received by sending payment receipts, including rate hikes, which they consider an abuse.
Adosapaco demanded to replace potable water service in this settlement, because more than two months do not receive liquid promptly charge them and their families are suffering the consequences. He said to try to resolve the conflict pipes to send them that people can collect water and cover your needs, but this measure is insufficient for the settlers. He replied that there are more than 5 000 inhabitants of this colony is one of the largest in the city, and should have some kind of priority it is that it generates more income to this agency also raised the price of quotas. He said they indicated that the two wells that supplied the area had collapsed, but they knew that new subdivisions were connected to the lines Sets by one of these wells, although it was exclusive to the colony.

"We want a quick response and demand the reinstatement of the Services so that it arrives by pipeline, but it is insufficient because there is no coordination with the Comviva of this colony," he said. He complained that despite not having the service, they still charge for providing receipts and send them without any discount, and they only occasionally lowered seven pesos, considered a joke. However, he said that the situation remains unchanged and have not had satisfactory answers to their demands even though they have acted properly and through legal channels to seek prompt attention. He said the despair and fell upon the settlers, so they decided to make this protest, because they do not know what else to do to address them.
In the absence Adosapaco care, said they are willing to go to the end, as this service is basic to any human settlement.

Closed colony inhabitants of Monte Albán Crespo Street, require water

2011-12-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

By fhernandez on December 14, 2011 - 09:51.
Newspaper News

About 100 residents of Monte Alban colony, headed by the treasurer of the settlement, Miguel Ángel Vásquez closed since this morning Crespo Street at its intersection with Allende.
This, to demand the reconnection of water, because for two months without water service.

The protesters detailed that the direct administration of Works and Drinking Water Supply and Sewerage of the City of Oaxaca (ADOSAPACO), informed them that the wells one and two are insufficient and "throne", so I can not send water.

However, they noted that "rumors" that new subdivisions are connected to the network, hence the fluid is insufficient.

They noted that although the Administration has sent water pipes, it is not enough for everyone, due to road conditions prevent the liquid reaches the people, with a total of five thousand people affected.
With information from Olivia Hernández

Oaxaca - October 2011 Trip Report

2011-11-21T16:31:00.000-08:00

Oaxaca - October 2011 Trip Report

Oaxaca - October 2011 Trip Report
Rick and Stan were in Oaxaca from October 10th through October 22nd to further Water for Humans' mission. It was a well spent two weeks that included the following highlights: began negotiating a contract with the state of Oaxaca to provide advice on water and sanitation issues, met Dr. Jhabvala for the first time, followed up with the water filter project at the Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, checked up on the status of the rainwater harvesting project in the Bravo Ahuja neighborhood of Oaxaca City and attended the 31st Water Forum of Oaxaca. The following covers these highlights in more detail.

State of Oaxaca Contract
Water for Humans participated in a number of meetings with the Secretary of Finance of Oaxaca. In attendance were Secretary of Finance Gerardo Cajiga, Water for Humans, Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca (INSO), Natural Systems International (NSI), Universidad Autonoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca (UABJO), CONAGUA (federal water commission), CEA (state water commission) and ADOSAPACO (municipal water department). We met with this group for two full days. The first day we discussed the state of water in the central valley and how rainwater harvesting could help. The second day focused on wastewater treatment and irrigation. From these meetings, we came up with a four part proposal to be completed over the next six months to advise the secretary on water and sanitation issues. Within six months (if approved), WFH, NSI and INSO will deliver to the secretary:

A vision and strategy for water and sanitation for the State of Oaxaca
A diagnosis (with CEA) of the failed wastewater treatment plants in the State
Guidelines for evaluating future water and sanitation projects in the state for funding
Recommended Technology Transfer projects to demonstrate solutions

In addition, Mr. Cajiga briefly spoke with us about making INSO & WFH his "think tank" on water and sanitation issues. We were hoping to have a signed agreement prior to leaving Oaxaca, however, that did not happen. We are now finalizing the four-part proposal with detailed statements of work for each deliverable and hope to have a signed agreement soon.

Per the direction of Mr Cajiga, we spent one day touring several wastewater treatment plants in the central valley. First was a meeting with the municipality head of Etla. Upon our arrival at Etla, the mayor would not receive us, so we went to the old treatment system at the dumpsite to see if they were still trying to rehab it. Shortly after we arrived, the municipality head and his staff joined us. We think this was only because they had received a call from Mr. Cajiga's office. They were very open and listened to our potential plan. We stressed that we have many options available to us to build our pilot plant and one of the selection criteria will be how well the citizens and politics are that govern the site. As you may know, Etla and Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla do not see eye to eye on many issues. We stated very clearly that we would be watching to see if this relationship improves, such that the needs of SDBBE are met by the municipality. We trust our counterparts in SDBBE to give us a truthful assessment to help us make any decisions about moving forward with a treatment plant in SDBBE. Next, we went to Tlacolula to visit their plant. As you may know, Tressie and a group from Engineers without Borders proposed a natural system addition to this plant three to four years ago, but dropped the project due to political issues. We had hoped to tour one more site, but we did not have enough time (as we got lost trying to find the entrance to the Tlacolula plant).

Dr. Firdaus Jhabvala (Natural Systems International)
After talking to and emailing Dr.Jhabvala (with NSI) for over eighteen months, we finally met him in person. The summer of 2010, we hired him to travel to Oaxaca to visit INSO and the wastewater treatment system at Santa Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla (SDBBE). We have been working closely with him since then. He joined us for our first week in Oaxaca and attended the state government meetings with us. Dr. J (as we affectionately refer to him) lived in Oaxaca many years ago, soon after completing his Ph.D. in economics, and taught at a local university. Two of his former students participated in the meetings. He has been instrumental in the contract negotiations and will also be instrumental in fulfilling our six month proposed contract obligations.

Water Forum
We also attended INSO's 31st Water Forum on Friday, October 14th. Finance Minister Cajiga opened the Forum and launched INSO's plan: A Common Plan for the Common Good. Juan Jose Consejo, the Executive Director of INSO, gave the keynote address in which he explained the details of the plan. It looks at the technical, social and environmental components of all potential water and sanitation projects to determine which ones to pursue. This program is a yearlong effort in which the government has funded 20% of the program cost. The project will align with our proposed strategy and give us enhanced input to the plan. One of the presentations was by Inez Barroso on the Bravo Ahuja Rain Harvesting Project. Maria Soledad Diaz Gonzalez, the former head of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, also attended. We spoke to her after the forum to get her opinion of what was going on with Villa de Etla with regards to the wastewater treatment plant. That will help us decide how well Etla is doing on the social (and political) front when we decide whether or not to put the initial constructed wetland (technology transfer demonstration project) there.

Water Filter
On Monday, October 17th, we attended the Antequera Rotary Club meeting to bring them up to date on the water filter project at the Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School in SDBBE. The club was very excited about our work in Oaxaca in general and about the water filter project in particular. They said that we could bring receipts for work on the project to them and they would reimburse us. It is good to know that we can go over our $500 grant (from the Bremerton Rotary Club), if we need to, and still complete the project. They also offered to help find the right water testing company, if needed.

We visited the school on Thursday, the 20th. There, we met the school principal and the parental committee that is overseeing the school's transition to filtered municipal drinking water. At the school, we discovered that the lavatory water that will be filtered to drinking water quality includes surface water during the rainy season. The water goes from municipal water pipes to an underground cistern. From there it is pumped to a water tank on the roof of the lavatory and then to the lavatory faucets. During the rainy season, rainwater from the surface finds its way into the cistern, introducing unknown contaminants into the system. Because of this the installation will be more complex than originally planned. We will have to install a separate storage tank (200 liters) and booster pump to provide the needed water pressure. We are now pricing out a solution that filters piped water only to drinking water quality.

We have been in contact with Industrial Mass in Mexico City to purchase the water filter. We are getting advice from them, as well as our Board Member, James Fox.

Rainwater Harvesting
On Wednesday, October 19th, we met with Mrs. Inez Avelina Barroso and the residential committee at Bravo Ahuja to visit the rainwater harvesting project that we are financially supporting. Mrs. Barroso is the community activist who initiated this project. Joining Nelly, Stan and Rick was Alejandra, who is heading up this project from INSO. These ladies have taken on this project so that their homes can have water year round. They have been trying to conserve and harvest rainwater using makeshift techniques and have managed to have water now when their neighbors do not. Working with INSO, they have big plans to build a 20,000 liter underground cistern (for each home) to provide them with lots of water between rainy seasons. They hope to have enough water to provide their neighbors with some water when they run out.

Thank you!
Your support keeps Water for Humans moving forward.

PS: You can stay in touch with the Water for Humans team by following us on Facebook - almost 360 people already "like" WFH!

Fall Fundraiser Postponed

2011-11-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Water for Humans Fundraiser & FIESTA

scheduled for

Nov. 10th
has been postponed until February

Stay tuned or check the website

WaterForHumans.org

for the NEW date and time!!!!

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

From Oaxaca at noon on October 19th

2011-10-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

TheRotary Club meeting was changed from 8 PM, Monday (October 17), to 9:30 PM andthe day with Mara on Tuesday was cancelled because there was not enough room inthe vehicle for all of us and the equipment. Instead, we met with Juan Jose when they are off collecting watersamples.

Wearrived at the restaurant for the Antequera Rotary Club meeting at 9:15 PM, thinking thatwe were fifteen minutes early. Themeeting was already in session, however, so we tried to quietly join and waitfor Nelly’s arrival. The club though wasready to give us the floor immediately and we asked if they preferred us tospeak in English or Spanish. Since theydecided on Spanish, we asked if we could wait for Nelly. Nelly arrived before our 9:30 planned timeand then we began.


Antequera Rotary Club with Nelly, Rick and Stan

Wethanked them for their support and told them how that support had a positiveimpact on us obtaining the grant for the School Water Filter Project from theBremerton Rotary Club. We then gave thema status update about the project. The waterfilter is for the Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School in Santo DomingoBarrio Bajo Etla. The update includedinformation about the school itself, the water testing process, the filterselection & purchase process, filter installation & testing andoperations & maintenance. Initial watertests have already been done. Additionaltesting will be done by the university (UABJO) and, possibly, a commerciallaboratory, if UABJO cannot run all the tests we need. We are working with Industrial Mass in MexicoCity and our Board Member, Dr. James Fox in Seattle, to make the filterselection. It will be purchased fromIndustrial Mass. Local community memberswill be trained so they can do the testing, operations and maintenance. Club members asked a number of questionsabout this project and other things that we are doing in Oaxaca. This gave us an opportunity to explainSecretary Cajiga’s initiative and our involvement with it. They thanked us for our work in Oaxaca andtold us that we could depend on them for any help that was needed. They even said that we could bring receiptsfor this particular project to them and they would reimburse us. That is good to know, in case our actualexpenses run over our $500 grant. Theywere very excited about our work in general. Rick and Stan are scheduled to visit the school on Thursday.

Tuesdaywe met with Juan Jose at 11 to discuss how to proceed with Mr. Cajiga. Nelly is in daily contact with IleanaSotomayor, his assistant, to get us on his schedule. So far, no firm date/time has been set. INSO’s year long initiative, A Common Plan for the Common Good, consists of avery general agreement with specifics added via addenda. In our case, however, we all think that itshould be a specific contract. We willget some guidance from the secretary’s office.

Ricksuffered through the morning with nausea and an upset stomach. He could not eat anything and took the restof the day off to recuperate. Stan andNelly went to the Tuesday evening appointment with the head of the Villa deEtla.

L-R: Rumeriz, Stan, SDBBE representative

Wearrived by our 6 PM appointment time, were warmly greeted at 6:10 and usheredonto a meeting room with Daniel Rumeriz Rumeriz, the head of Villa de Etla. Shortly afterwards someone from Santo DomingoBarrio Bajo Etla joined us. He wasMaria’s (the former administration head) environmental representative and thehead of the committee that protected the dump from additional illegal dumping. We had a very frank discussion about thepossibility of selecting Villa de Etla as the pilot site for a constructedwetland in the Central Valley. Weexplained about Water for Humans involvement with Santo Domingo Barrio BajoEtla since 2009 and Dr. Jhabvala’s involvement since 2010. We then explained how the extent of theproject has changed from a specific single constructed wetland for Villa deEtla to a pilot for the Central Valley and for the state. We then explained that the selection processfor the pilot site would be based on ideal conditions for the technology, theenvironmental impact and the social collaboration & impact. We told him that socially and politicallythey had a long way to go before we would select them as the pilot site andthat the selection would not be made for a number of months yet. We also told him that the dump was a separateproject and that because of it, more land may be needed for the project.

MrRumeriz said that they were very interested in being the pilot site and that hewas calling for a meeting of the Elders in the Villa de Etla next Tuesday todiscuss the matter. We explained that weare looking at other locations but would monitor the social and politicalsituation there from both Villa de Etla’s perspective and SDBBE’s perspective. The SDBBE representative was cautiously happyabout Villa de Etla’s ‘changed attitude’ and said that they would have to seeif actions follow.

Allin all, the meeting turned out well. Villa de Etla seems to be genuinely interested in being considered asthe pilot site and they know the important factors that will influence ourselection process.

Wereturned to Oaxaca and Nelly showed Stan her favorite tamale place, a streetvendor, close to the zocalo. Stan boughttwo tamales for less than the price of one at our favorite tamale restaurant,ate them at home and gave them two thumbs up (at a great price).

Rickwas doing much better and had zeroed in on the cause of the nausea: lemonade. It turns out he is allergic tocitrus, and this was compounded by consuming a lot of lemon-lime juice (atmost meals). After some strong antihistaminehe is back “with the living.”

Latertoday we will meet with Jess Perry who is interested in doing a film projectabout water and sanitation in the face of climate change. She contacted us well over a year ago and we lookforward to meeting her and learning more about her project. She is veryinterested to learn about INSO’s work, our collaboration with them and howour joint work could become part of a film. Following this, we will go tothe HUB to meet with Megan, one of the founders, and Bravo Ahuja to see theongoing work on their rain catchment systems.

News update as of 17 Oct 2011

2011-10-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Blog as of 17 Oct

The weekend could not have come soon enough! Last week was like 2+ weeks crammed into one. It seemed like most days started early and did not end until well after 11:30 PM. There was never a break or siesta! Many days lunch came well after 3PM, which was typically short and then back to work until late in the evening with a short break for dinner. Both Stan and I rejoiced in sleeping in and not having to get up and do much of anything. We did work a lot on the very long blog post (posted Sunday night). Both Stan and I agree the Blogger interface could really use some upgrades. Inserting photos and getting them in the correct place takes a really LONG TIME! In compounding the problem Google thought that because I am in Mexico the interface should be in Spanish. It was only after Stan figured out how to change it to English that the editing went better. For one thing the Spanish interface has even less functionality, which makes editing even slower and more difficult. We both agreed that the post is way too long, but so much happened in just a few days that we felt we needed to get as much of the story out to you as we could. We were both happy to be back at our normal lodging spot at Rosalinda’s. It is much lower key then the fancy hotel, and more our style. We are the only guests so we have the run of the place.

For me (Rick) the weekend was spent cruising the city, doing some shopping, hanging out at the zocalo and taking several siestas. On Saturday there was a large youth orchestra with well over fifty kids in it playing in the zocalo. I hung out and listened to them for quite a while as they sounded really good. In my shopping adventures, I did score a new leather brief case which holds my netbook in-style, and some very comfortable sandals, along with some groceries for breakfast. I also stopped by a glasses place to see if they would be cheaper here vs in Seattle. They would cost about the same as in the States so I did not bother with them here. I find it strange that some things are really discounted and other items are at US prices. The weather has been overcast with some light rain, but warm by Seattle standards. On Saturday it was mostly sunny and nice. On Sunday it was cooler and overcast. When I was downtown, I had a very lightweight pile jacket on (unzipped), and I saw several folks with puffy down jackets (all zipped up). This is the coolest part of the year. The weekend had its typical noises with many fireworks, loud bangs and marching bands. On Sunday it seemed like every time I would nod off during my siesta, I would be startled awake by a big bang!

Monday brings the bimonthly status meeting at INSO that lasts most of the morning and includes all of the INSO staff. The meeting is all in Spanish so Rick excused himself to start on this blog update. The meeting began by getting everyone’s input on Friday’s Water Forum to find ways to make future forums better. Other topics included the meetings with the Finance Secretary, the visit to Villa de Etla, an upcoming Expo on Sustainability at the end of this week and many other projects going on at INSO. By the end of the meeting, the entire staff was up to date on all ongoing projects.

Last week Nelly suffered from an infected wisdom tooth that is coming in. Friday, it hurt so much she did not attend the breakfast with us and the Minister, as she swung by the dentist to get a Novocain shot to calm it down for a few hours. Today, Monday, her tooth is better (the dentist can’t remove it until the swelling and infection goes away), however, she has a touch of a cold (I think last week was too stressful and long for her). Luckily for all of us, this week will not be so intense and stressful.

This week will include one or more meetings with Mr. Cajiga to hopefully finalize a contract for our work, along with meetings with community leaders and the Rotary Club. Tonight, we will meet with the Rotary Club to bring them up to date on the status of our school water filter project in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla (SDBBE). Luckily for us the meeting will start at 8 PM, not 10:30 PM, like the other club in town. Tuesday we will go with Mara and her students from Bard College to do some water sampling and then have a 6PM meeting with the municipality head of Etla. Wednesday has no meetings scheduled until 5 PM when we go to Bravo Ahuja to meet with Ines to see the ongoing work to install her rain catchment system. If we have the “day off”, we hope to go shopping with Nelly to get items for our upcoming auction. Thursday, we will meet the school administrator at SDBBE and perform a water pressure test for the filter system. Friday, is currently without meetings. Of course, this schedule may have to be rearranged once we hear back from Secretary Cajiga.

Oaxaca - as of October 14th

2011-10-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

This our update on the meetings with Mr Cajiga as of 14 Oct. 2011

Secretary of Finance Cajiga

The last three days have been a flurry of activity. After our arrival on Monday night, we have been in what seems like constant meetings with the Oaxaca State Government. Tuesday afternoon was our first meeting with the Finance Minister (Mr. Cajiga) and some of his team. After a short very late lunch (4pm) we were back in the INSO office working on our presentation for the next day and worked on several documents we needed to have ready to print off to hand out to the participants. The documents provided everyone with a description of who WFH is and what we do, along with several letters from the community leaders we are working with. Wednesday morning came early since we needed to finish the documents and get
them printed before the driver came to get us at about 9am. Nelly has been extremely helpful in making sure all the translated documents are correct and she has helped us write several new documents in preparation of these meetings. On Wednesday we were in meetings with the Minister and his staff for most of the day! The meetings are taking place in a new large office campus about 40 minutes outside the city. This complex was built to house all the government offices. On the upside for the public it is a one stop get everything done in one place type layout. On the down side it is way out of town. Luckily for us we have a driver with a minivan (7 passengers) that takes us everywhere we need to go.

R-L: Juan Jose, Dr. Jhabvala, Josefina, Carlos

Like most of the meetings they started 45 minutes late, but when the minister arrived we jumped into action. We discussed the state of wastewater treatment plants throughout the Central Valley, and after some heated discussions the group agreed to form a team of government agencies and INSO & WFH to review the viability of the existing treatment plants. Erik Marnitez (UABJO) was able to attend the meeting and added some very good background on a number of plants that he and his students analyzed for their water quality parameters and overall health. Dr. Jhabvala (Dr. J) also made some significant contributions to the meeting. After explaining how constructed wetlands can be part of the solution, there was a dissenting view expressed about the ability of wetlands to clean up wastewater at all and that activated sludge plants

clean 90% of wastewater. This gave the ‘good’ Dr. an opportunity to further explain how properly designed and implemented constructed wetlands all over the world, including Mexico, clean well over 90% of waste and how activated sludge plants clean water up to 90% but leave massive amounts of contaminated sludge that then needs to be dealt with and normally just piles up. This turned out to be a good education for the dissenter as well as everyone else in the room.

The minister fully understood that his internal team does not have the wherewithal to fully analyze the state of the current plants fairly. Thus, WFH with the help of Dr J (and hopefully Tressie Word) will oversee the work of the minister’s staff to provide an objective analysis of the situation. Nelly provided us with highlights of the conversation. She took great notes (in Spanish) which we were able to understand. The verbal conversation goes by way too fast. This situation reminds Rick of when he was first working in Germany and all the meetings there were in German.

When the discussion turned to the possibility of establishing a certified testing lab in the state (to analyze the quality of waste water), the initial comments were in favor of turning that over to CONAGUA (the federal water commission) and CEA (the state water commission). However, Erik spoke about the work that he has done at the university and the possibility of setting up an independent certified laboratory. We would like to be able to have an independent (or part of UABJO) lab that is not located on campus since UABJO seems to be closed more than open due to protests. Erik stated the lab could be located off campus and be a joint effort with UABJO. In addition, we don’t like the idea that it would be run by CONAUGA & CEA because this is like the fox guarding the hen house.

Meeting with the Finance Minister

The next topic discussed was about irrigation water quantity and quality. Both the state and federal representatives gave their perspectives on the situation. What was both sad and somewhat funny is that the state water commission representative who has worked in several different states talked about a “great program” he implemented, but was stopped because the aquifer went dry! The minister rolled his eyes, as he fully understood this was not a good strategy. Then another government representative spoke about his program and how great it was until the region suffered from increased desertification. Again, the minister understood that this was not a good strategy. Juan Jose led the discussion for both INSO and WFH, since all the meetings were in Spanish. Juan Jose spoke about the potential of using new and innovative techniques to better capture rain water and help manage stream & river flow rates that
will increase the availability of irrigation water. In addition, he spoke about how to implement changes in irrigation practices to increase water productivity. We finally left the office complex about 3:30 pm and were driven back to the city to have a late lunch.

Etla Treatment Plant, R-L: Nelly, Erik, 3 Etla officials

Thursday was a day for us to look at three potential sites for the possible repair or replacement of existing treatment plants. First, we went go out to Etla and met with the new Municipality head. As you may know, the political situation in Etla is challenging. We waited for well over an hour and a half (one hour is customary) and the Municipality head would not receive us, so we decided to go to the treatment plant and see the work that Etla is doing to rehab the inadequate system. Shortly after we arrived at the plant the Municipality folks all showed up! From what we understand the Minister told them to respect our time and meet with us to learn more about our ideas for this site. We spoke
for a good 45 minutes and agreed to continue the discussion next Tuesday at 6PM.

Tlacolula Treatment Plant

We then drove to the other side of Oaxaca City to Tlacolula (population 20,000) to see the plant there. Eirk could not join us. However, he did his Master’s thesis on how to incorporate a wetland at this plant several years ago. This is the one that Tressie and the Engineers without Borders group from Eurika, CA, worked up a full redesign on and did not implement due to political issues in the town. We had difficulty finding the site because the map Erik gave us was inadequate. Thursday is “Market Day” and the roads we were directed to go on were blocked by the market. After wandering around for a while we went to the municipal offices to get directions around the market to the plant. We made it to the plant and looked around. The system is minimal at best with two large facultative lagoons. On the up side there is a lot of open land
around the plant. On the downside it a very large community and we would not be able to implement many of our other ideas at this scale right out of the box.

Biggest Tree in the World

Because we lost a good 45+ minutes getting lost trying to find the treatment plant we did not have time to visit the last site. However, on our way back to meet with Juan Jose for a 7pm meeting, we stopped off at what is said to be the “largest and oldest tree” in the world in Tule. We had a great seven year old girl as our guide and she pointed out all of the animal-like features of the grand tree.

Working on the proposal

Upon arriving back at INSO at 7pm we started work on a proposal to present to the minister at our breakfast meeting Friday morning. Earlier in the day before we went on our tour, we started drafting our ideas. We worked well past 10:30pm on our proposal which was based on action items the minister brought up throughout our meetings.

We decided on a four part plan that will take six months to complete. It covers the following:
1. A vision-/strategy for water and sanitation for the Central Valley
2. A review team that will evaluate the existing treatment plants and divide them into three categories.
a. Fixable
b. abandoned/scrap/not worth fixing
c. More extensive research required.
This team will work with CEA (the state water commission) in an oversight and advisor function.

3. Produce a process document that municipalities will follow to justify their request for water and sanitation improvements.
This report will outline a basic process for doing economic analyses that includes the engineering, social and environmental effects. The minister is an economist and wants to have a way to objectively evaluate potential projects so he can prioritize them correctly.

4. Pilot project development.
This will cover the planning and pre-implementation costs of pilot projects that reinforce our strategy and show that some of the innovative recommendations are both valid and cost effective.

Some of the pilot projects we are planning for both urban and rural locations are:

“Family ecosystems”
Storm water management
Industrial and household water use reduction program (education and equipment)
Dry latrines and ultra-low volume flush toilets
Greywater treatment
Rainwater Harvesting.

This joint proposal is expected to cost $1,000,000P ($80,000 USD) over a six month period.

Friday was our last day in the fancy hotel and the day of the 31st INSO Water Forum (Foro Oaxaqueno del Agua-quarterly meetings sponsored by INSO to discuss water and sanitation issues in Oaxaca). We had a very brief breakfast with the minister. He had to leave early for a meeting with the governor. However, we did have the opportunity to present our proposal to him and it was well received. Mr. Cajiga said his initial impression is that the structure and costs are in line with his budget and expectations. He then said he would like to make the INSO &WFH group his “think tank” for advice on water and sanitation. With that said he directed his assistant to arrange a meeting for next week to finalize the proposal.

Water Forum Sign

Water Forum Head Table with Secretary Cajiga

Mrs. Ines Avelina Barroso

We then rushed off to the 31st Water Forum, in which the minister opened the forum and anno-unced the formation of a yearlong project (A Common Plan for the Common Good) with INSO to further the work they have been doing in the valley for the past 20+ years. Then, he briefly spoke about the proposed partnership with INSO & WFH. The minster then slipped out to go to Mexico City. Juan Jose gave the keynote presentation at the Water Forum: ‘A Common Plan

for the Common Good’. He introduced the idea and highlighted that it would include technical, environmental and social aspects to all future plans for water and sanitation in the Central Valley. Towards the end of the forum Mrs. Ines Avelina Barroso made a presentation about the rainwater harvesting program in Bravo Ahuja (which WFH is helping to fund). We met her after the forum and arranged to visit the site on Wednesday at 1700. Maria, the former head of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla also attended the meeting. We spent several minutes after the meeting with her to get her views of the situation with the wastewater treatment plant in Etla. We are looking forward to next Tuesday’s meeting there. The forum ended about 12:45 and we went back to INSO to wrap up our work for the week.

L-R: Stan, Maria, Santa Domingo official, Rick

We are very much looking forward to a “weekend off.”

Rick and Stan

From Oaxaca - October 11th

2011-10-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Wemade it to Oaxaca Monday evening October 10th. We left Seattle on Sunday, the 9th, and spent the night in Houston withDr. Firdaus Jhabvala (Natural Systems International) and his wife,Josefina. The next day, Monday, we allwent to Mexico City, and ate a late lunch at the airport. Firdaus (Dr. J) and Josefina left the airport andspent the night in Mexico City, so that they could renew Josefina’s visa onTuesday. Rick and Stan left the airportand continued on the final leg of their trip to Oaxaca. Nelly met us at the airport and took us tothe hotel. This is a government providedhotel which is, by far, more luxurious then the accommodations we are used to.

From Bard College

Tuesdaymorning we ate at one of our usual breakfast locations, stopped to buy fruitfrom our usual fruit vendor (it was good to see her again) and proceeded to INSO. There, we met the INSO staff as they arrivedfor work, along with a visiting professor and two students from Bard College inNew York. Nelly told us the night beforethat the plan was to visit Erik Torres (chemistry professor) at 10 AM at theuniversity (UABJO-Universidad Autonoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca) and then visit with government officials at 5:30 in theafternoon. The government was sending acar to take us to the afternoon meeting. By Tuesday morning, things had changed. There was a disturbance at the university (strike) and the governmentmeeting was changed to 1 o’clock. So,Erik came to us and the car picked us up at noon.

Erik from UABJO

WhenJuan Jose came in we met with him to discuss the planned meetings, our respective roles inthem and potential talking points to bring up. After strategizing with him for about an hour, Erik showed up and wespent time with him. Erik brought us upto date on his end. He showed us some new data from SantoDomingo Barrio Bajo Etla water samples collected and analyzed by his students. He has a much closer working relationship withCarlos (at INSO) on the Water Forum. TheUABJO constructed wetland is in good working order and he is trying to reduce itsgas emissions to minimize the future fire potential. Work with Etla is as challenging asever. They asked him to recommend a planto move forward and then refused to sign, cooperate or comment on his proposal. He has also developed a comprehensive manualfor a potential certified lab. He hasbeen very busy on several fronts.

Our first meeting with Secretary Cajiga

Avan picked us up at INSO at noon and took us to the state office buildingsabout thirty km away. Besides Mr. Cajiga, the Secretaryof Finance, there were representatives from CONAQUA (federal water commission),CEA (state water commission), ADOSAPACO (municipal water department), INSO andWFH. The discussion centered aroundrainwater harvesting. Juan Jose gave alengthy presentation, which was followed by a discussion of ways to implementrainwater harvesting pilot projects. There was a lot of interest at all levels fortrying new ways of obtaining water and most seemed to have an open mind about doingsomething. However, no concrete plans were made to do anything. Tomorrow the topic of discussion will besanitation.

Wereturned to INSO, ate a late lunch and worked with Nelly to prepare a PowerPointintroduction to and handouts about Water for Humans for tomorrow. We then ate dinner with Mara (professor from BardCollege) and went back to the hotel. There, we ran into Firdaus and Josephina in the lobby where we spent about ninety minutes bringing each other up to date on our experiences that day andplanning for tomorrow. We went to bedabout 11PM to be ready for another long day in the morning.

Save the date -- Thursday November 10th, 7-9pm - Fall Fiesta!

2011-10-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that in conjunction with Seattle University - Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), we will be holding a Fall Fiesta fundraiser, to be held at Seattle U. The event will include a silent auction of artwork, pottery and textiles directly from Oaxaca, and many other great gifts and experiences to bid on.

We also hope to secure the Seattle based Oaxaca band (they have the largest selection of authentic Oaxaca music in the US). This should be a fun event with more details coming.

Upcoming Trip to Oaxaca Mexico

2011-10-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Mexico Trip
Finally, after more than nine months, we have had a major breakthrough with the state government.

Water for Humans (WFH) will be traveling to Oaxaca to meet with Senor Cajiga, the Oaxaca State Finance Minister, on Oct 10th. The minister has agreed to meet with us (paying our travel) to discuss working on a strategy for water and sanitation, first for the central valley and hopefully for the entire state. This work will be divided between WFH and our partner NGO: Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca INSO. WFH will be bringing Dr. Firdaus Jhabvala (from Natural Systems International/Biohabitats) to help with contracting and municipal sanitation.

Our goals for the finance minister are to do the following:

Secure a contract to develop a strategy for water and sanitation projects.
Secure commitments/funding for pilot projects.

We will be in Oaxaca for two weeks working with the Senor Cajiga and following up on our other projects: school water filer and rain catchment.

Great Interview with Jorge Castaneda and Charlie Rose

2011-08-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is a great interview with Jorge Castaneda talking about his new book "Manana Forever?: Mexico and the Mexicans'
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11839

Please take a few minutes and watch this video about the interconnections between Mexico and the US.

Global Washington: Changemaker- Rick McKenney

2011-07-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Clean water, social justice, and sustainable business: Rick McKenney of Water for Humans

By Anamika Ved;;;A
social entrepreneur, mechanical engineer, a physicist, material scientist and a keen advocate of social and economic justice are few words that describe RicMcKenneyey, thcofounderer of Water for Humans. Having started his career as a budding entrepreneur during his high school days, Rick’s passion for implementing social change eventually gave birth to the non profit social venture enterprise that is called “Water for Humans”.

In 2006, while traveling in Mexico during the summer, Rick noticed the elderly struggling with water jugs, people getting drinking water out of five-gallon jugs and trucks carrying jugs of clean water. He realized that people understand the value of clean water; they recognize that drinking tap water can potentially lead to serious medical problems and even death. With multinational companies and other private enterprise mushrooming in the profitable business of potable water sales and distribution, Rick saw people spending 25% of their income on buying expensive bottled water. Those with less financial means were drinking water that was insufficiently treated and not safe for human consumption.

He also saw raw sewage flowing directly into the sea and onto farmers’ fields polluting the ocean and human consumption crops. With fields getting flooded by raw sewage, farmers could only grow animal feed commodity, which has less financial value than human consumption crops. His exposure to this socioeconomic reality made him decide to work towards saving people from the deleterious effects of these unsafe water and sanitation practices.
Born in Southern California, Rick was imbued with both the business and engineering skills to start a private enterprise. While in high school he started and successfully operated his own business, a small manufacturing outfit, before he sold it to pursue his undergraduate degree in Solid State Physics and Mechanical Engineering.

After working in military industrial complex where he was “conflicted by the lure of science and the application of technology,” he joined Boeing as physicist and materials scientist. During his eighteen years at Boeing, he worked on many classified projects; however, he wanted to do something in line with his core values. He wanted to give back to the society. As a first step, he went to Vancouver, B.C. and for four years worked at Ballard Power Systems developing hydrogen fuel cell technologies.

Rick was interested in social entrepreneurship from social justice perspective. He wanted to use his engineering and business skills for environmental, economic and social causes. He wanted to do, as he says, “Business for good.” With that thought in mind, he joineBainbridgeBainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) in the fall of 2004 to get his MBA in Sustainable Business Practices in June 2007.

and unemployment. He also studied social justice and business and started lBainbridge some ideas relating to it.

In his effort to start a social enterprise for safe drinking water and sewage, Rick was greatly supported and encouraged by Gifford Pinchot, the co-founder of Bainbridge Graduate Institute. Gifford connected him to Paul Hudnut, a social entrepreneur and founder of Envirofit, an enterprise-based model that represents a more sustainable approach to tackling the global IAP/cook stoves problem.

Rick also drew inspiration from Fabio Rosa, a Brazilian social entrepreneur whose initiatives focused on rural electrification and the use oPinchotinable energy resourBainbridgear to Rosa’s “The Sunshines for All,” which delivHudnutow cost electricity to millions of ruraEnvirofitans, Rick decided to come up with what he calls “a reliable, low cost, culturally acceptable technical solution that could provide sustainable sewage treatment systems, and access to clean water.” This, he thought, would reduce pollution for people of all economic classes. He also understood the importance of proviSunshinesnancial mechanism via a social venture enterprise. A social venture enterprise, according to him, was important to ensure that infrastructure, such as sewage treatment systems, have adequate financial resources to provide continuous operations and maintenance for areas where local governments do not have the capacity to deliver such services. This led to the birth of Water for Humans, a social enterprise that strives to insure local public control of water resources and the deployment of low cost water purification systems to the 1.1 billion people in the world who lack safe drinking water.

According to Rick, “the strength and vitality of a community is based on its ability to provide food security and economic vitality to its citizens.” In order to accomplish his vision to bring about social and economic justice, Rick wants to ensure the safety and quality of the local food sources and help local economies thrive.

Rick also stresses on the importance of collaborative working model, which resonates with one of Global Washington’s four principles of aid effectiveness i.e, local ownership. According to Rick, collaboration or partnership with the local communities, NGOs, and government has been the mainstay of their organization’s success. “Strong and deep connections to key community partners have allowed us to grow and increase our impact,” he says. Their most recent project, aimed at designing and building a constructed wetland for sewage treatment in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, is an example of such collaboration. In this endeavor, Water for Humans isNGOstnering with a local internationally-recognized NGO, Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca (INSO). The goal is to develop this watershed project 20Km NNE of Oaxaca City, as a model that communities throughout the world can study and emulate. In addition, they are also working onSantoinwater catchmenBajodEtlaer treatment, and composting latrine program within Oaxaca City. There many sections of Oaxaca City that do not have adequate water aInstitutotden sNaturalezand theSociedadrdeng hard with the community to implement a cost effective solution to this chronic water shortage issue.

Rick emphasizes partnerships between small non-profit organizations and agencies like USAID and thinks that Global Washington can help make such connections. He appreciates the role played by Global Washington in increasing the “visibility of the member organizations.”

Excited about launching the first watershed project in the Oaxaca Valley, Rick continues to work towards implementing social change, using his scientific skills and strong belief in social and economic justice. Let’s wish him success in this laudable objective as he fulfills his dream to “affect people in the most positive way.”

Growing Water Deficit Threatening Grain Harvests

2011-07-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Lester R. Brown

Many countries are facing dangerous water shortages. As world demand for food has soared, millions of farmers have drilled too many irrigation wells in efforts to expand their harvests. As a result, water tables are falling and wells are going dry in some 20 countries containing half the world’s people. The overpumping of aquifers for irrigation temporarily inflates food production, creating a food production bubble that bursts when the aquifer is depleted.

The shrinkage of irrigation water supplies in the big three grain-producing countries—the United States, India, and China—is of particular concern. Thus far, these countries have managed to avoid falling harvests at the national level, but continued overexploitation of aquifers could soon catch up with them.
Read more

Bremerton Rotary Club Grant to Water for Humans

2011-07-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Water for Humans (WFH) received a $500 grant from the Rotary Club of Bremerton (Washington) to further their mission in Oaxaca, Mexico. The grant will be used to provide for a water filter for the Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, twenty km northwest of Oaxaca City. The school initially came to WFH and INSO (Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca), our NGO partner in Oaxaca, for assistance in this matter. Money currently used to buy expensive bottled water will be used to purchase badly needed school supplies. Water for Humans will be working with the Antequera Rotary Club (of Oaxaca) to implement this project.

A better loo? Gates gives $42M to improve toilets

2011-07-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

By TOM ODULA and DONNA BLANKINSHIP
Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya —
At dawn every Sunday, Joseph Irungu leads an army of 50 men pushing hand carts fitted with old 42-gallon oil drums through the narrow alleyways of one of Kenya's most populous slums.

With their bare hands, they use buckets to draw the feces from the pit latrines in Korogocho, fill the oil drums and push them to a river to deposit the waste. Every trip leaves the men with splotches of sewage on their faces and hands.

Irungu has been leading this sanitation brigade since 1998, when the Nairobi City Council refused his request to drain the pit latrine at his plot of rental houses.

"It was too much," he said. "I had to do something, so I picked up a bucket and drained it myself. I realize that many other landlords were facing similar problems and a business opportunity presented itself."

Irungu's enterprising spirit was echoed across the continent Tuesday, when the world's largest charitable foundation announced its newest venture: an effort to reinvent the toilet to bring safe, clean sanitation to millions of poor people in the developing world.

At the AfricaSan Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced $42 million in grants to encourage innovation in the capture, storage and repurposing of waste as an energy resource.

More than 2.6 billion people around the world don't have access to safe sanitation. Instead of using toilets connected to sewer lines, most leave their waste on the ground or in a ditch or pit. The result is unsightly, unsanitary and contributes to illness.

Some 1.5 million children die each year from diarrhea-related diseases. Because the Gates Foundation believes most of these deaths could be prevented with proper sanitation, safe drinking water and improved hygiene, foundation officials are in Africa this week to launch this new initiative.
Read more...

Water for Humans Receives 501(c)3 Status

2011-07-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

The IRS approved Water for Human’s application for 501(c)3 status. All contributions directly to Water for Humans are now tax deductable. We were classified as a Public Charity as of May 14, 2011, the date we submitted our application. We will immediately take steps to remove ourselves from the fiscal sponsorship of A W.I.S.H. (A World Institute for a Sustainable Humanity).

We would be amiss without thanking the Seattle University School of Law for all their help in filling in the application accurately and thoroughly which put us on the IRS fast track for approval. In early January, Judy Andrews, a practicing attorney and professor at Seattle University, saw our need as an opportunity for two of her third year law students who were talking a course about nonprofit corporations. The two students, Misha Sandusky and Joseph Helt, did the bulk of the work, making sure that we had our application and all supporting documentation completed before they finished their course in May. Judy has been available for assistance since their graduation. A big thanks from Water for Humans to all three of them for their help in obtaining this milestone for us.

2011-07-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

Saludos (Hi) from all of us at Water for Humans!

The families of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City have come to Water for Humans for assistance in securing clean safe water access.

Today, we are calling for your action to make a difference!

Imagine your child having to drink Coke in place of safe water.

That's what many Oaxacan families resort to.

The primary school in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla has foregone buying school supplies in favor of providing expensive bottled water for its students.

They've come to us to ask for help to install a water filtration system instead.

Meet the students of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and Prof. Rosendo Barragan Mendoza

Professor Rosendo Barragan Mendoza teaches grade 6 at Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School located in the village. Prof. Mendoza said, "Sometimes when we run out of water jugs and children are still thirsty, they have to drink water from the tap and this causes many diseases." He tells us that clean filtered water would allow the school to stop buying expensive bottled water - and spend the money instead on school supplies.

How is Water for Humans helping the children, and the school?
In continuing collaboration with INSO, Water for Humans will install a water filtration-purification system on the elementary school's water tank.

Estimated Project Cost: $500

How to Help

1) Spread the word about our efforts:

via our new site. Invite your Facebook friends and email contacts to join in our funding efforts (by clicking the icons to the left of the "Donate" button on the crowdrise webpage).

Crowdrise is a fast growing engagement tool/network that is helping many great causes fund the work that needs doing. If you have any question about how to join or set up a Team on Crowdrise, please Contact Us.

2) Give to Water for Humans directly at our site.

Thank you!
You are a person who cares about the world we live in and you have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans. Our new friends in Oaxaca's Central Valley say, "Muchas gracias!"

PS: Learn how your generous support will impact lives in Oaxaca and elsewhere by following the Water for Humans' Blog, our You Tube Channel and looking for updates on Facebook. We invite you to join the nearly 300 people who are "Followers" of Water for Humans on Facebook!

You can always donate directly at

Water for Humans' Welcomes New Webmaster

2011-07-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

Two volunteers now make up our web development team. Water for Humans is glad to welcome Jitendra Joshi as our new webmaster. Jitendra comes to us with a Master of Science degree in Computer Applications and experience in web and software development. He is very interested in supporting our quest to bring more clean water solutions to the underserved in the world. Jitendra resides in India from where he has supported a number of American companies.

Carl Herman, our second web development volunteer, hails from Seattle, WA. He is a student at the University of Washington, majoring in history and economics. He has limited experience with web development, but is passionate about growing his web skills and knowledge. He will be working closely with Jitendra and is excited about furthering Water for Humans’ mission.

We look forward to working with both Jitendra and Carl.

Worldwide Sanitation Drive Launched in New York To Bring Basic Sanitation to 2.6 Billion People!

2011-06-30T14:25:00.001-07:00

Water for Humans is taking action to help alleviate the life-endangering effects of major water shortages in Oaxaca City, Mexico. We are responding to the desperate pleas for help from families in the besieged Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City, Mexico. They are asking Water for Humans and you--our generous supporters, to help them gain access to clean, safe drinking water.

Unfortunately, our friends in Oaxaca City have too much company. More than 2.5 billion people on this planet--half of the population in developing regions in the world, do not have access to basic sanitation. Despite being included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) more than a decade ago, "Ensuring Environmental Sustainability" has a long way to go. This 7th MDG is nowhere near being achieved, despite the targeted year of 2015 being only 3 1/2 years away! In fact, sanitation is among the Millennium Development Goal targets lagging farthest behind.

The eight Millennium Development Goals – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions.

As scores of people continue to suffer the inhumane effects of blackwater and other extreme unsanitary conditions, Water for Humans is asking you to help save lives! We invite you to learn more about how your talents and time can help further the cause of Water for Humans to provide low-cost, clean water solutions to under-served populations while ensuring that water remains a local, public resource. You can contact Rick McKenney, co-founder of Water for Humans, at rickm@waterforhumans.org to find out how to get involved. Thank you!

UN Secretary-General launches the “Sustainable Sanitation: Five-Year Drive to 2015”

United Nations, 21 June 2011—UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, along with UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, Ugandan Minister of Water & Environment the Hon. Maria Mutagamba, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange, today launched the “Sustainable Sanitation: Five-Year Drive to 2015” (http://www.sanitationdrive2015.org), a push to speed up progress on the Millennium Development Goal target of improving global sanitation by 2015.

The launch took place on June 21 at United Nations Headquarters in New York, with members of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and other dignitaries in attendance.

The Millennium Development Goals include a target of halving, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to basic sanitation. With 2.6 billion people – half of the population in developing regions – still without access to improved sanitation, the target is lagging far behind, and without urgent and concerted action globally it will be out of reach.

Read More...

Water for Oaxaca - Rain Catchment Campaign

2011-06-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

Saludos (Hi) from all of us at Water for Humans!

Imagine only getting municipal water once a week for 2 hours!

Imagine not flushing the toilet for 2 days because there is no water!

Water for Humans (WFH) is taking action to help alleviate the life-endangering effects of major water shortages in Oaxaca City, Mexico. We are responding to the cries for help from numerous families in the besieged Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City. They are asking Water for Humans and you to help them gain access to clean, safe drinking water. Here is a first-hand portrait of the human toll severe water shortages are exacting from the perspective of one family in Victor Bravo Ahuja!

Meet Susana Eva Vazquez
Suzanna is a community activist in the Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City. She wrote to Water for Humans and the Institute for Nature and Society in Oaxaca asking for our help in solving her neighborhood's chronic water shortages.

This is what Susana told us: "Our neighborhood was a landfill and quarry before becoming a residential district. Originally, water service consisted of two spigots; over time, the delivery system was expanded. Now, due to population growth, it is extremely insufficient. Last year, during the dry season most residences received water only two times per week for few hours per day. The water ... is not potable."

With your support, here is how WFH wants to help Susana and her family...

Together with INSO, we are building 8,000 gallon rainwater catchment systems - a pilot project to be tested in eight homes in the neighborhood. The community members are committed to solving their water shortage problem by putting in almost $9,000, toward the total of $31,000!

Will You Answer Susana's Plea for Help?

You can help Susana and her family in this life-saving effort by helping Water for Humans today with a $25 donation via our site. Our financial goal is to collect $6,000 towards this cause. Your generous contribution will play a critical role in Water for Humans being able to implement this innovative, low-tech, sustainable solution. With your donation, Water for Humans will bring tangible and significant improvements to the lives of Susana and her family and so many others in Oaxaca City!

How to Help

First, you can help us spread the word via our site by inviting your Facebook friends and email contacts to join our funding efforts (by clicking the icons to the left of the "Donate" button on the crowdrise webpage). Your Confidentially is Guaranteed - Your personal information will not, under any circumstances, be shared with any third parties!

Thank you!
You are a person who cares about the world we live in and you have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans in its effort to help Susana and her family in Oaxaca City. Susana and her family thank you for your support! "Muchas gracias!"

See the Difference Your Donation Will Make For Susana and So Many Others In Oaxaca City!
Learn how your generous support will impact lives in Oaxaca and elsewhere by following the Water for Humans' Blog, our You Tube Channel and looking for updates on Facebook. We invite you to join the nearly 300 people who are "Followers" of Water for Humans on Facebook!

You can always donate directly at

Droughts threaten nation’s food supply in Mexico

2011-06-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

BY VÍCTOR MAYÉN

On Sunday, Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) deputies said that the country’s food supplies may be at risk. Nearly 500,000 hectares of crops of basic grains may fail due to droughts.

In view of this situation, Manuel Humberto Cota Jiménez, the Secretary of the Agriculture and Livestock Committee, asked President Felipe Calderón to declare as disaster areas the states that have been affected by lack of rain. He added that the federal government must also send resources immediately to respond to the emergency.

According to Cota, the federal government’s attitude regarding this situation is regrettable.

“The federal government is not offering the necessary resources to assist the rural zones that have been damaged by this situation. The government must destine resources to the affected states, not only to the states that are holding elections,” Cota said.

The National Meteorological Service (SMN) said that the states that have been most severely affected are: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Jalisco and Guanajuato.

The cold temperatures in northern Mexico earlier this year and the recent drought have devastated this region. If actions are not taken soon, Mexico’s food supplies may be endangered.

Cota said that the drought will have a higher impact than this year’s freezing temperatures. Droughts are more serious because they can cause wildfires and death of livestock, which would cause a food crisis in Mexico.

Joint working agreement with UABJO Oaxaca

2011-06-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce a new joint working agreement with Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca (INSO) Water for Humans and Universidad Autonoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca (UABJO). Professor Erik Martinez Torres of the Chemical Engineering Department will formally join our efforts to help educate the community and government on the need and technology for natural waste-water treatment. Erik's laboratory will be more involved with our ongoing water analysis of both drinking water and black-water.

We look forward to working more closely with UABJO as our plans for the design and construction of a natural waste-water treatment plant in Villa De Etla, and Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla.

The GUELAGUTZA in Seattle Saturday June 18th 2-6 PM

2011-06-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Please join our friends from Oaxaca in a special cultural celebration on Saturday June 18th from 2-6pm. The GUELAGUTZA will be held at the Dr. blanche Lavizzo Park 2100 S Jackson St in Seattle.

The closes entrance is behind (south) of the Odessa Brown Children's clinic at 22nd & Yesler.

There will be a traditional dance pretensions with the Grupo Guelaguetza, the Grupo Cultural Oaxaqueno and special guests GRUPO AMISTAD directly from Oaxaca

For more information please call 206.723.1986

Seattle University Students in Free Enterprise join our efforts

2011-06-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that the student group from Seattle University Students in Free Enterprise have joined our team. This student team will help us in a wide range of activities, including social venture enterprise business plan development, expanding our impact in Oaxaca by helping build more Family Ecosystems. Over the next few months we will work together to develop a joint strategy to both maximize their learning opportunities and increase our delivery of services in Oaxaca.

Over the coming weeks we will introduce these fine dedicated students and outline their area of focus.

Interactive "Future of Water" Web Event on June 7!

2011-06-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

Sustainability thought leaders will gather for a virtual conference addressing global water challenges on Tuesday, June 7 beginning at 8 a.m. PDT. This milestone online conversation, entitled, "The Future of Water," is available to anyone -- at no cost. Leading up to the event, you--the visitor, will be able to view and share a trailer previewing the conference as well as see a full listing of conference speakers.

As a conference participant, you will have the opportunity to interact with featured speakers and other participants via digital and social media channels, adding your voice to this critical dialogue on the global water crisis.

Follow The Future We Create on Facebook and Twitter to participate.

We invite you to learn more about this worldwide challenge on the Water for Humans website. Over 1 billion people live without access to clean, safe drinking water and more than 2.5 billion people live in deplorable conditions because they do not have even basic sanitation facilities at their disposal.

Water for Humans’ mission is to provide low-cost, clean water solutions to under-served populations while ensuring that water remains a local, public resource. We are now helping to change lives in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla in the Oaxaca Valley, just outside of Oaxaca City, Mexico. Water for Humans is leading the effort to design and build a constructed wetland for sewage treatment in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla.

Join the conversation at this upcoming Virtual Conference and then learn how you can save and play a tangible role in transforming lives by being part of the Water for Humans cause to ensure everyone enjoys the dignity of having access to the planet's most precious resource--Clean and Safe Drinking Water.

Join Virtual Conference on the "Future of Water"
on June 7!

Join 60 leading thinkers as they explore the rich, complex, and critical topic of water's future. Beginning with a big-picture perspective, and uncovering both key "mega-trends" and personal stories from the front lines, "The Future of Water" will examine how different fields, sectors, and stakeholders can meet the challenge of supplying a growing global population with clean and sustainable water.

We encourage you to watch a Trailer for this Virtual Conference entitled, "The Future of Water" and then register for this important online event on the The Future We Create website.

Among the speakers taking part in this Virtual Conference are David Abraham, CEO at ClearWater Initiative, Ajay Badhwar, member of the Board at Pure Water for the World, John Borrazzo, Chief of Maternal and Child Health Division at the Bureau for Global Health at USAID, and Susan Davis, Chief Partnership Officer at Water For People.

DATE: Tuesday, June 7 , 2011 (Starting at 8 a.m. PDT, 11 a.m. EDT)

WEBSITE: FutureWeCreate.com

40 Percent of the World's People — More Than 2 Billion Human Beings— Have No Access to Clean Water

2011-05-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Water for Humans recognizes the critical need of ensuring sanitation and safe drinking water today and in the future. We work to eliminate current contamination by creating sustainable solutions to waste-water treatment and management.

So, it comes as no surprise to Water for Humans and many of our followers that the world is on pace to experience unprecedented water shortages this century. And we're not talking three or four decades from now--but rather starting in this decade!

An article published by the University of Arizona (U of A) paints a poignant picture of what the world will look like in the near future if we do not take action. Facing the twin challenges of a surging global population--particularly in the developing countries, and the depletion of groundwater supplies, many millions of people are in danger of not having access to safe, clean drinking water and reliable sanitation.

The article referenced below U of A article points out that the inadequacy of surface water supplies, salination of land, and conversion of agricultural land to other uses all spell disaster when it comes to ensuring we have enough safe drinking water. None of these developments is conducive to irrigated agriculture.

We invite you to read the highlights of the U of A article and consider joining our cause at Water for Humans to to provide low-cost, clean water solutions to under-served populations while ensuring that water remains a local, public resource. Thank you for your support!

Global Water Shortage Looms In New Century

Highlights of University of Arizona Article on Global Water Shortage

The World Bank reports that 80 countries now have water shortages that threaten health and economies while 40 percent of the world — more than 2 billion people — have no access to clean water or sanitation.
A story in The Financial Times of London began: "Water, like energy in the late 1970s, will probably become the most critical natural resource issue facing most parts of the world by the start of the next century." This analogy is also reflected in the oft-repeated observation that water will likely replace oil as a future cause of war between nations.
According to the World Bank, world-wide demand for water is doubling every 21 years, more in some regions. Water supply cannot remotely keep pace with demand, as populations soar and cities explode.
Since 1900, there has been a 6-fold increase in water use for only a 2-fold increase in population size. This reflects greater water usage associated with rising standards of living (e.g., diets containing less grain and more meat). It also reflects potentially unsustainable levels of irrigated agriculture.

Water for Humans' 501(c)3 Status

2011-05-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Water for Humans has submitted Form 1023 to the IRS to become a 501(c)3 corporation. The application was done by Misha Sandusky and Joseph Helt, two 3^rd year law students at Seattle University. This was a project for their course on nonprofits which they took during their last term in law school. Both of them graduated on Sunday, May 15^th. Judith Andrews, Misha and Joe’s professor and a practicing attorney in Seattle, followed the progress of the application and is serving as our legal representative to the IRS. We feel that we are well prepared to respond to any questions from the IRS to clarify our status. We will keep you informed as the application winds its way through the IRS for approval.

Water for Humans Spring Newsletter: April 2011

2011-05-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

Saludos from all of us at WFH (which means “Hi” in Spanish)!

Your steadfast support has made a big difference to people in Oaxaca, Mexico – mothers and fathers who are looking to WFH for help in giving their families safer homes and healthier lives.

They send their thanks and we join them: WFH exists because of you!

Some of you have asked me what WFH has achieved so far in 2011. The answer is…a lot!

Meet Ofelia Carrada Maribel Lopez

Last year, your gift provided key seed funding to plan a new sustainable water treatment facility in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla. Until we reach that important goal, WFH is working in small ways to help the community access clean water.

Professor Ofelia Carrada Maribel Lopez teaches 3^rd grade at Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School, located in the village. Prof. Ofelia said, “Sometimes when you run out of waterjugs and children are still thirsty, they have to drink water from the tap and this causes many diseases.” She tells us that clean filtered water from the tanks already in place would allow the school to stop buying expensive bottled water – and spend the money instead on school supplies.

How is WFH helping Ofelia and her students?

WFH, with full participation from INSO, is raising funds to install filtration systems on the elementary school’s water tanks. Estimated Project Cost: $500

Meet Ines Avelina Barroso

Donations like yours are making it possible for WFH to reach into new communities. Ines is a new community partner in the Victor Bravo Ahuja district of the municipality of Santa Lucia del Camino in Oaxaca City. She wrote to Water for Humans and INSO and asked for our help solving her neighborhood’s chronic water shortages.

This is what Ines told us: “Our neighborhood was a landfill and quarry before becoming a residential district. Originally, water service consisted of two spigots; over time, the delivery system was expanded. Now, due to the population growth it is extremely insufficient. Last year, during the dry season most residences received water only two times per week for few hours per day. The water…is not potable.”

How is WFH helping Ines and her family?

Together with INSO, we have designed 8,000-gallon rainwater catchment systems – a pilot project to be tested in eight homes in the neighborhood homes. WFH submitted a grant proposal on May 2 to the Seattle International Foundation to fund this innovative, low-tech, sustainable solution. Estimated Project Cost: $6,000

On the ground with Nelly, WFH staff in Oaxaca

Your contributions in 2010 made it possible for WFH to hire a half-time staff member in Oaxaca – Nelly Fernandez Tellez. We are grateful (and Nelly is, too)!

Nelly gives WFH a human face – something difficult to do when an organization is headquartered thousands of miles away. She makes sure that community partners in Oaxaca – organizations like INSO and individuals like Ofelia and Ines – have someone they can talk to. Nelly also provides us with critical, on-the-ground updates about the changing situation in Oaxaca.

Recently, Nelly told us:

The election of Daniel Ramirez in Villa de Etla means the treatment plant project will go forward.
The newly elected mayor of Santa Domingo Barrio Baja Etla, Severo Jesús Santiago Ruíz, is a close confidant of the prior mayor, Maria Soledad Diaz Gonzalez, one of WFH’s greatest champions in Oaxaca.
Ex-mayor Diaz met with State Water Commission Rolando García Rodrigo Varela to bring him up to speed on status on replacing the derelict treatment plants in Santa Domingo. During the meeting, he committed his support for our approach and project, which is another key milestone for us.

In Seattle with Rick and Stan

Your assistance motivates WFH’s co-founders, Rick McKenney and Stan Brown to keep focused on the mission: provide low-cost, clean water solutions to underserved populations while ensuring that water remains a local, public resource.

Rick reports, “Seattle University law students, Misha Sandusky and Joe Helt, are working to complete our Federal IRS 501(c)3 paperwork, as part of a course led by Judy Andrews on nonprofit legal issues.” This is an important step in WFH’s growth and stability (although we continue to be gratefully to our fiscal sponsor, A.W.I.S.H).

Stan adds, “We have recruited eight board members, twelve advisers and nineteen dedicated volunteers (in the areas of translation, marketing, development, economics, web development, public health, environmental engineering and cultural affairs).”

Want to volunteer and help the people of Oaxaca? Just contact Rick RickM@WaterforHumans.org or Stan StanB@WaterForHumans.org

What’s next for WFH?

Watch your email inbox in the coming weeks for an important announcement: WFH is partnering with crowdrise.com, an online social networking and philanthropy website, in an innovative fundraising campaign to make sure that Ines and Ofelia’s dreams come true.

Thank you!

You are a person who cares about the world we live in and have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans. Our new friends in Oaxaca’s Central Valley say, “Muchas gracias!”

PS: You can stay in touch with the Water for Humans team by reading our blog or following us on Facebook – almost 300 people already “like” WFH!

Community Well Water Analysis in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla

2011-04-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

From Nelly Fernandez Tellez Water for Humans-- Mexico Operations

On 25 April, I paid a visit to the community of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla.

I was there to obtain a copy of the results from annual analysis of community well water conducted last year, and to talk with the manager of the water committee.

Initial results show the water is fairly good quality, however the well pump failed last year and the new replacement pump is starting to show some corrosion. Currently, the municipality does not have the funds to perform new water analysis, and they have asked Water for Humans to help them determine the root cause of the pump failure and better understand the water quality.

In response we are invigorating the costs of performing a more complete water analysis, and forecasting the funding requirements to support this request.

Severe Water Shortages Predicted Within A Few Decades

2011-04-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Scores of people worldwide are in trouble. Safe, clean drinking water, already a very precious resource, is predicted to become extremely precious--and harder to find, within a few decades. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences warns us that by the year 2050, more than 1 billion people--living in major cities in the developing world, will face water shortages. That is equivalent to roughly 20 percent of the world's current population!

More than 3 billion people are predicted to experience water shortages "at least one month of every year." Climate change is expected to worsen this already catastrophic problem, as the warming of the planet is likely to cause another 100 million people who live in cities to not have adequate access to safe drinking water.

Water for Humans has been documenting this world-wide crisis with sound science and in partnership with other environmental sustainability organizations. You can fine clear and compelling statistics on the severe magnitude of the global water shortage on the Water for Humans website.

The below report is not to be taken lightly. Too often we read or hear about dire warnings, and if they are far enough into the future, we tend too often to become "tuned out" to such credible calls for action. We encourage you to read this article, and then we invite you to join Water for Humans in our international campaign to provide low-cost, clean water solutions to underserved populations while ensuring that water remains a local, public resource.

1 Billion City Dwellers May Face Water Shortages By 2050, Study Says

By 2050, more than 1 billion city dwellers may face water shortages if no new infrastructure is built or no new water conservation efforts are undertaken, according to a new National Academy of Sciences study [1]. More than 3 billion people may suffer similar water shortages at least one month of every year, according to this study. The shortages are projected to hit mega-cities ranging from Beijing to Delhi, Mexico City, Lagos and Tehran.

This recently released study looks only at water availability within a metropolitan region. Many more people lack access to clean water if problems of inadequate water quality or delivery within cities are taken into account.

To define “water shortage,” the study used a standard of 100 liters per person per day, which the World Health Organization says is the minimum a person needs for “optimum” long-term health and sanitation.

Researchers found that urban population growth will account for most of the big projected increases in water shortage. Climate change may add an additional 100 million more people to live without adequate water supplies unless cities take measures on time.

Common infrastructural solutions to address water shortages such as transporting water longer distances, building dams and desalination are all expensive. Better ways to address shortages, says one of the study’s authors Rob McDonald of One solution, are more efficient water use by agriculture and industry, payments to farmers to reduce areas of irrigated agriculture, and removal of non-native water-hungry vegetation such as eucalyptus.

“The thing I’m really worried about,” says McDonald, “is how the poorest cities are going to be able to afford to get water to their residents. Right now, many poor cities have trouble delivering clean water to their residents, and unless new capital is available for investment the situation will get worse.

“There’s a real shortfall in investment right now in solving this problem, and the developed countries in my opinion need to play a larger role in helping close that shortfall.”

Footnote: [1] McDonald, R.I. … [et al.] (2011). Urban growth, climate change, and freshwater availability. PNAS, Published online before print 28 March 2011. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1011615108 [open access]

Source: Robert Lalasz, Cool Green Science, 28 Mar 2011

International Organization Calls for Renewed Focus on Sustainable Sanitation

2011-04-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

In an effort to prompt greater awareness and action among the world's leading governments, the United Nations has strengthened the "Sustainable Sanitation 5-Year Drive to 2015". Read article below for details.

The hope is that by taking this significant measure, the United Nations will put political pressure on various countries, including developed, developing, and under-developed nations, to meet this critical part of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

"Ensuring Environmental Sustainability" is the 7th of 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were created in September of 2000 to address--on a worldwide scale, the paramount issues of universal primary education, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, and halving extreme poverty--all by the target date of 2015. All of the world's countries and leading development institutions formed this blueprint more than a decade ago to meet the needs of the world's poorest people.

Water for Humans adamantly endorses this action by the United Nations. Nearly 1 billion people are unable to access clean, safe drinking water, and 2.5 billion people live without adequate sanitation. About 84% of water-related deaths worldwide are of children under the age of 15! Water for Humans finds these deplorable and inhumane conditions unacceptable.

Would you like to play a vital role in helping us reduce by 50% the number of people who have no access to safe drinking water? Do you want to use your talents to help Water for Humans deliver the world's most precious resource to the hundreds of millions of people who risks their lives to get it? If you would like to join our humanitarian cause, we encourage you to visit our Water for Humans website and learn how you can positively impact the many thousands of people who need your help.

Thank you for your support!

Sustainable Sanitation: The Five-Year-Drive to 2015

April 15, 2011

As a follow-up to International Year of Sanitation (2008) and in the effort to attain sanitation and hygiene Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, Sustainable Sanitation 5 Year Drive to 2015 (5YD) was conceptualized by the United Nation Secretariat Advisory Board (UNSGAB) members.

The idea being that, ‘the 5YD is an advocacy vehicle to keep sanitation high on the political agenda, promote national coordination, improve sanitation monitoring while supporting sustainable sanitation solutions – all in all in an effort to meet the sanitation target.

The Drive aims to invigorate, galvanize and re-focus international, regional and national activities in the field of sanitation and maintain the momentum through raising awareness and facilitating action. The concept was drafted based on a recommendation made in The UN-Water Global Annual Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) report of 2010.

The Five Year Drive was officially adopted by Resolution A/RES/65/153 of the UN General Assembly on December 20, 2010 and now serves as a tool for engaging countries as well as non-state stakeholders for improving access to sanitation worldwide.

The official launch of 5YD will take place in the presence of the UN Secretary General during the UNSGAB (United Nation Secretariat Advisory Board) meeting to be held from June 21-23, 2011 in New York City.

In addition, regional launches are planned at the 4th South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN IV) in April 2011 and at the 3rd African Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene (AfricaSan3) in July 2011.

Source: UNSGAB ((United Nation Secretariat Advisory Board) , Dec. 21, 2010

Access to Clean, Safe Drinking Water Threatened by Rapid Urbanization

2011-04-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

Water for Humans continues to work successfully with local experts, university personnel, and government officials in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico to bring clean, safe drinking water there. Partnering with Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca (UABJO), Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca (INSO), local Rotary International chapters, El Foro Oaxaqueño del Agua, Guadelupe Etla, Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, State and Federal government officials, as well as the Department of Health--Water for Humans is building a constructed wetland for sewage treatment in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla. The goal is to eliminate the raw sewage currently flowing from the defunct wastewater treatment plant in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla downhill to Guadalupe Etla.

Water for Humans intends to continue its humanitarian initiatives like the one in Mexico in other under-developed and under-served countries in the world. Access to clean, safe drinking water is not a privilege for the select few who are fortunate enough to live in advanced countries. Water for Humans believes that being able to obtain fresh drinking water that is free of toxins is a right that all people must seize. And Water for Humans is committed to making that happen.

Addressing this formidable worldwide water crisis is a challenge that seems more daunting every day. We read in a recent article published in Urban Health Updates that the burgeoning population growth in many urban areas from Africa to Egypt to Bolivia are creating major hurdles to people in these countries from accessing safe drinking water.

Rapid urbanization is taking place throughout the world, and this is putting a tremendous strain on water supplies. Children are often the ones who suffer most in the form of contracting water-borne illnesses. The UN Environment Programme says some 884 million people have no access to clean drinking water, yet three times that number have no toilets or sanitary facilities of any kind.

Below read an excerpt of this poignant article that should awaken all of us to the magnitude of this black water crisis. These stories should summon all of us to do our part to help alleviate this pandemic that is taking lives every day, and many of those lives are children under the age of five.

Article published by Urban Health Updates on March 22, 2011

Securing a safe water supply in urban areas is an increasing problem in 2011. The UN recognizes access to clean drinking water as a human right, but it remains out of reach for millions of people around the world.

Some 400 million people in Africa live in urban areas, according to United Nations statistics – but as of 2008, 55 million of them lacked access to clean drinking water.

A study by two UN agencies, released on Monday (March 21, 2011) to coincide with World Water Day on March 22, highlighted a troubling trend: As Africa’s cities grow more populous, an increasing number of residents there must do without clean water and sanitation facilities.

Water testing at the School in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla

2011-04-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

MARCH 22, 2011.
By Our Oaxaca staff Nelly Fernandez Tellez
I made a visit to the school in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla meet with the head master; Valentin Gomez Farias to test the water quality, receiving the parameters measured were: pH, hardness, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, iron, manganese, salmonella, E. coli, Aeromonas and other coliforms.

These tests were made because "Water for Humans", aims to get to install filters at school, and thus the school can stop buying jugs of water. The children will be able to drink water straight from the tap and the money save will be used to invest in material for children or school improvement in general.

The results were quite favorable and we can say that although the water is clean, We do not feel nor do the children & staff feel safe drinking untreated water. This is because none of the incoming well water is treated or inspected on a regular basis. Thus we hope to install a water purifying filter to ensure the greater safety of the children and staff.

State Water Commission Ing Rolando García Rodrigo Varela. Meeting March 2nd

2011-04-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

State Water Commission Ing Rolando García Rodrigo Varela. Meeting March 2nd
By our Oaxaca Staff Nelly Fernandez Tellez

Today, El Maestro Juan José Council INSO, Mr. Carlos Placencia Forum Water Oaxaca, the former agent Etla Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo María Soledad Díaz. and I, we held a meeting with the director of the State Water Commission (CEA) Ing Rolando García Rodrigo Varela.

During the meeting, the director of the CAA told us that the state has more than 80% of treatment plants that do not work and therefore water is not treated, that is why the CEA currently has a program to monitor treatment plants. This program is to conduct an assessment visit to the site of treatment plant, and generate a general opinion of the state that tells the plant and make recommendations to the various actions that must be done to rehabilitate the plant, or if is considered, building a new facility that meets the guidelines established with the Mexican standards.

Juan Jose gave the preliminary estimate of the costs of steps required in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, (acquisition of land for the project, generation of the executive project, construction of silver treatment, operation and maintenance) will be presented to the Governor, Mr. Gabino Cue Monteagudo.

The directors agreed to a visit by the CEA to the treatment plants located in Etla, and for our part we conclude the record start integrating it takes to enter this institution and received some financial resources for construction the new treatment plant.

VISIT TO THE COLONY BRAVO AHUJA- Oaxaca city

2011-04-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

VISIT TO THE COLONY Bravo Ahuja.
By our Oaxaca staff Nelly Fernandez Tellez

On Wednesday 6 April, he visited the colony Bravo Ahuja, where it intends to implement systems to capture rainwater for eight families. The reason for the visit was to take pictures of the houses, the beneficiaries and ceilings.We did a route which covered all the houses of the beneficiaries, most of them made collecting cans to sell and PVC recycling. They perform and the collection of rainwater but very rustic, in cans, buckets and all receptacles in which to store water, which is why they want to get the rainwater harvesting in a more formal with tanks and tanks, gutters and pipes.

La Maestra Rosa Lidia Barroso Moreno, who was the first to be approached with trepidation INSO to implement the project Capturing rainwater in your home develops some of the actions environmentally friendly alternatives such as: instead of chlorine for whiten the clothes she wears ash water according to his testimony helps to whiten the clothes and also reduces the amount of detergent you use. It also has vermicompost, compost conventional organically reared chickens, ways of saving and recycling water, for example, the wash water used to water the garden or for toilet, water from the clothes used for washing floors.On the other hand, Mrs. Avelina Ines Barroso already has dry toilet and also recycles water, your house is made of ferrocement and has organic shapes.

The other members of the project are:Hortencia Mendoza GarcíaCarlos Alvarez BautistaEva Susana Hernandez Vazquez .- In addition to her home 5 people live with her. Esther Pascual Lopez .- With her 8 family members live together. Norma Aguilar Gaytan .- There are 6 people in your home. Berenice Delgado Torres - regularly are 5 people in her house.

Each of the women members of this group is very excited and is eager to work on the project "Rainwater Collection" are moving to acquire resources from government institutions and other potential donors have even talked to the president City of Santa Lucia and pretend to have a conversation with the Governor to ask for your support.

However, they are constantly training and attending courses and workshops in order to overcome and be more environmentally friendly.

Water for Humans Expands Board of Directors

2011-03-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Water for Humans had a Board of Directors Meeting on Thursday, March 24, 2011. Present were the two board members, Rick McKenney and Stan Brown, and the Seattle University law students, Misha Sandusky and Joseph Helt, who are helping us with our IRS 1023 application.

At the Board Meeting, we adopted a Conflict of Interest Policy which includes an annual statement to be signed by each board member. We also expanded the Board of Directors to include our Advisory Board. The following are now members of the Water for Humans Board of Directors:

2 Year Term -

April Atwood, PhD
Susan Bolton, PhD,PE

Brian Setzler, MBA, CPA

Tressie Wood, MS, PE

1 Year Term -

Stan Brown, MBA
James Fox, PhD
Rick McKenney, MBA
Hector Saez, PhD

The rest of the meeting was spent on the IRS 1023 application. We are on track to submit the application next month. Joseph and Misha, who will graduate in May, have been a tremendous help guiding us through the process.

What Can I Do to Bring Safe Drinking Water to Others?

2011-03-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

The worldwide water crisis seems so daunting. While Water for Humans and many other like-minded organizations are doing what they can to heighten awareness and bring useful information to people that helps them address the clean water crisis, this is a problem that affects billions of people on a global scale.

In the Developing World, most people do not have running water.
2.5 Billion people do not have access to a toilet or a latrine.
Diarrhea kills more than 4,000 children each day, AND 90% of them these children are under 5 years old. Water.org estimates that diarrhea kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

But each one of us can change our personal lifestyle habits in subtle, easy ways that can free up enormous amounts of water. Examples include --

Taking a 4 -minute shower. (The average American takes at least an 8-minute shower and uses 20 gallons of water, four times as much water as someone in the developing world uses all day.)

Find out if your home has a water leak. Check your water meter. Then wait two hours without using any water. Then check the meter again. If the reading changes, you’ve got a leak. (According to the EPA, water leaks in U.S. homes account for more than 1 trillion wasted gallons per year.)

Turn off the water facet when you are brushing your teeth. (According to the EPA’s WaterSense program, the average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons per minute. So, a single person can save an average of 8 gallons of water each day by simply turning off the faucet when they brush their teeth.)

Take more showers and fewer baths. (A full bath can take 70 gallons to fill, according to the EPA, while a 5-minute shower will only wash away anywhere from 10 to 25 gallons.

Learn about easy, every-day ways you can save water. Visit http://tinyurl.com/6zuqoso and see what simple changes you can make to conserve our planet's most precious resource.

Then, when you watch stories on the news about people whose lives are ravaged by unsanitary water, you can feel good that you are doing something to help alleviate this worldwide crisis. Join Water for Humans to address this humanitarian initiative that will save lives. Thank you!

World Water Week-- Update

2011-03-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

I hope you all know that this week is World Water Week. For us the week started off with an event at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle on Monday Evening. We had an information table where we met over 50 + new folks interested in our work in Oaxaca. We also had new promotional materials designed by Jeffrey Hostert Graphic Design. This was followed by a talk by Robert Glennon. Robert spoke about the current state of drinking water here in the US and how we are potentially headed for some challenging times with respect to access to adequate safe water.

Then on Tuesday we again hosted a table at Seattle City Hall. Again this event was a success in that we met a lot of new faces and we were happy to hear that some of the folks who came to the event already knew about us, but did not know exactly what we are doing. On the upside we had to print up more handouts as we almost ran out by 11am.

We now have a new sticker to help promote our work

IT's World Water Day :)

2011-03-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

March 22 is World Water Day. Please swing by Seattle City Hall, as we will be there as part of the cities and county's efforts to support Water awareness. We will have an information table setup to help us spread the word about our work.

Robert Glennon keynote speaker at Chief Sealth International High School’s World Water Week Event

2011-03-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

Robert Glennon keynote speaker at Chief Sealth International High School’s World Water Week Event

www.westseattleherald.com

Robert Glennon, author of NYT bestseller “Unquenchable” and a U. of Arizona Professor of Law and Public Policy, will be among the featured speakers during World Water Week, presented by Chief Sealth International High School students at the school March 21-25.

Maria Soledad Diaz Gonzalez Reelected as the Agency Head of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla

2011-03-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Maria Soledad Diaz Gonzalez was reelected as the Agency Head of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla. This election took several months to resolve as there was said to be irregularities, and the opposition was disputing the results. Just last week the election was certified fair and complete. Maria has been the Agency Head for several years and her reelection is very important to our work in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla.Maria has been spearheading most of the environmental efforts in the community and with her support and the Community of Elders we have built strong community support to replace the derelict wastewater treatment plant with a sustainable natural treatment system.

On Wednesday Maria and the new Mayor of Villa De Etla met with our partner NGO

Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca (INSO) to discuss the strategy for our upcoming meeting with the Governor to present our solution to the derelict wastewater treatment plant. This derelict treatment plant floods several houses in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla when ever there is a big rain storm, and the raw sewage continuously floods farmers fields.

Marketing support from the Seattle University Marketing Club

2011-03-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to announce the help and support from the Seattle University Marketing club. I met with the club on March 2nd to learn about their interest in helping Water for Humans develop a marketing strategy and plan. Because the current term is coming to a close (finals are fast approaching), the club will take up this new effort in the Spring Quarter. We look forward t working with this student group to provide us with much needed marketing expertise while providing students real hands on experience implementing their marketing strategy.

The new governor of Oaxaca announces a joint agreement with the IADB

2011-02-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Water for Humans has been in contact with the Inter American Development Bank via our connections with the Mexico Federal Ministry of Economy. Throught our discussions we learned for this joint agreement. The full statement (press release) is several pages long. This is an excerpt from it.

"In joint press conference with the governor of the state, representative of the I.A.D.B. eri Mexico, Ellis J. Juan, explained that one of the high-priority areas of action of this agreement is to add to the efforts of Latin America and the Caribbean to reduce to the poverty and the inequality,· aiming at a sustainable development and respectful with the climate. In the case of Mexico, he added, he tries himself to support to the states and municipalities in order close a breach of existing economic development. In as much, the vice-president of the sector deprived in the I.A.D.B., Steven J. Puig, indicated that they have worked in Oaxaca and other states, diverse projects, mainly in the matter of infrastructure, that is essential for the competitiveness."

This agreement will help both INSO and WFH implement several larger projects including our black water treatment plant in Santo Domingo Barro Bajo Etla.

Gabino Cué, the new governor of Oaxaca state in Mexico

2011-02-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

Gabino Cué officially took office as the new Governor of Oaxaca on December 1st 2010 (which seems like a long time ago already). Please see the attached link. This election has come at a critical time for us and INSO as there will be a significant power shift in our favor. Grabino is committed to sustainable development and is very concerned about water and sanitation in the face of climate change. He understands the importance or water productivity and some of the potential challenges Oaxaca faces in the coming years. INSO has already held several key meetings with the new ministers, and INSO is working hard to secure a personal meeting with Grabino and several of his ministers. The goal of this upcoming meeting is to help the new government formulate a sustainable strategy for water resources. We (Water for Humans) and INSO will hopefully be able to help formulate an overarching strategy that will allow us (WFH & INSO) will work closely with the new government and implement many new projects

Biohabitats acquires Natural Systems International

2011-02-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

Biohabitats has acquired Natural Systems International, Water for Humans' partner for constructed wetlands' expertise. Biohabitats was started in 1982 and works on projects to restore the earth and inspire ecological stewardship. Acquiring NSI will allow the new organization to focus efforts on more water related issues in the future. This is a good fit for both companies and is 'Good News for the Earth'. This will not change Water for Humans' relationship with our constructed wetland's consultants.

Water for Humans and SU Law - Initial Meeting

2011-02-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Today, Water for Humans (WFH) met with Misha Sandusky and Joe Helt, third year law students at Seattle University, to start the process that will culminate in filing IRS Form 1023, our application for 501(c)3 status. We plan to submit the application in April at the end of their term. This is a class project for a nonprofit course they are taking and the price is right for WFH: pro bono.

Today, WFH gave Joe and Misha a verbal overview of our organization and how we arrived at this point of applying for our own 501(c)3 status, which will take us from under the umbrella of A W.I.S.H. (A World Institute for a Sustainable Humanity) for our tax exempt status. They had already done quite a bit of research from our website and the forms submitted to WAACO (Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations), but we were able to clarify some points with this face-to-face meeting.

Misha and Joe outlined the information that need to be gathered or created to complete the application. Fortunately, we have some of the more time consuming parts done, like the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. The two major items that need to be done are a narrative of our activities (current and future) and our budget.

You can keep track of our 501(c)3 progress through this Blog.

Seattle University School of Law

2011-01-31T10:31:00.000-08:00

Water for Humans will work with two third year law students at Seattle University to help us obtain our 501(c)3 status. This will be a project for the students’ Nonprofit Legal Clinic course. Judy Andrews, a practicing attorney and the professor of the course, will make sure that everything is done properly and after the course ends will represent us if the IRS has any issues with the application. The students will be given the assignment on Thursday, 2/3/11, and will set up an interview with Water for Humans shortly thereafter. The course ends in April. You will be able to follow the progress in this blog.