WURC & San Miguel, Mexico Water Project

The water at both schools contains unsafe levels of fluoride, a reduced form of the element fluorine.
For this project The Midday Club (English speaking) is joining forces with the Evening Rotary Club (Spanish speaking), the San Miguel government and the West U Rotary Club of Houston, Texas. "I think that for a project like this-one that is important for the entire town-it is crucial to work together," said project leader Enrique Orva anos after a Club meeting in early March.
The design concept utilizes the schools' rooftops, exploiting their large surface areas to trap rainwater, the majority of which falls during the wetter months between June and October. The rain will be channeled through a filtering system and then stored in tanks, where it will remain until drank or used for cooking.

The government is playing a key role in the project. San Miguel's Director of Ecology, Don Patterson, led a study that tested wells throughout the municipality for fluoride, arsenic and other contaminants, identifying 20 communities that contained hazardous levels. Funded by the municipal government, the first water-harvesting system of this design was implemented in the Augustin Gonzales community. Members of the Midday Rotary Club were invited to observe the project's execution. Since the municipality only had the resources to provide clean water to 17 out of the 20 communities in need, the Midday Club jumped on the cause, adopting the three remaining contaminated areas. If the project is successful the other two areas will receive systems the following year.

Orva anos approaches the project confidently. "There's no doubt about it. The project will be successful. We will get it right the first time."

The West U Rotary Club has partnered with the Midday Club in the funding of this matching grant proposal. The Midday Club has already been approved for a grant of US$17,000, the required amount estimated to complete the endeavor.

"One of the miracles of Rotary is its ability to leverage the money required for these projects," said Midday Rotary Club Vice President David Bossman. "This is what happens when you have a great service oriented international organization."

The Water Harvesting Project is conceived in three phases. Presently the Club is finishing the first phase, which includes creating a detailed design, outlining costs and timetables and meeting with the principals of the schools in order to explain the project and its benefits. The second phase involves acquiring all the components for installation, at which point volunteers from San Miguel Viejo will help with the assembly.

The third phase entails education about the system and its maintenance, ensuring that it will continue to run efficiently, improving the quality of health of residents for many years to come.
"Part of the effort and commitment of a project such as this is for us to get closer to the communities and to the government in order to teach-and to learn-how people can work together to improve lives," said Orvaanos.