[fsf60k] Re: Brace yourselves

All of these questions will be answered with speed
mc

Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 16, 2009, at 5:08 PM, richard wiltamuth <dwiltam@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
if we have to dig a new well, we need to get the best thinking about where arsenic levels are likely to be lowest in the nuevo area. does anybody in nica know a proven way to remove arsenic from water? would like to know if existing water could still be for plants and animals or to bathe in. in the meantime, since conchita has a vehicle for useful purposes, can she help get water to nuevo so that they don't have to carry water on their backs? 
dick w.
On Thu, Jul 16, 2009 at 2:59 PM, Peter White <pedro831@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Hola. Brace yourselves for sure. Mike arrived in Nica late yesterday to the news that the Nica govt. org., Minsa?, tested the water in NA and found it to be 40 ppb arsenic, too high considering the nat'l standard is now 10 ppb. 
They suggested closing the well. We have spent a lot of time on this
project, including two years ago educating ourselves about arenic from Dr. Meng from the STevens Instit. of Tech. in Hoboken, NJ, who believes and has proven that arsenic can be removed cheaply, safely, etc. However this may be of no value if the Nica govt orders the well closed. The other bad news is that the two year old diesel motor is unable to be repaired. So the people 
are without water and walking for water I suppose. Mike is going to be
asking a multitude of questions of the MINSA people and others, and putting his head together with Conchita, Martin, and others about what the next step/s are. Please think about this and get your questions to Mike or me asap. I am going down to Nica for a quick five day visit July 23-27. This 
was supposed to be a joyous visit in part, as we were going to see the
contract for the installation of the solar water project in NA and put up half the money in order to get the project going. Now we are really set 
back. The real problem is the continued suffering of the people.
The good news I suppose is that we aren't going to be throwing more money into the old generator if it is kaput. Also we are not going to spend $25000 on a solar project for a well that may be of no use anymore. Mike says that 
there is a clean water source about 2K from NA, which we know about (I
think). I beleive it is where the bomba de mescate is located. That's where the people walk to when there is no water. It is a hand/rope pump that is cumbersome, tiresome, slow, etc. but it has clean water. Or, maybe it isn't clean and no one ever tested there??? Frankly, a good portion of Nica is with bad water, so what are we to do? I dont' see how La UNion, only 1K 
away, has good water (or maybe it isn't either) and NA is bad. We need
everyone to think, suggest, provide ideas, etc. so we can move forward
somehow.
I remember Dr. Meng saying that the arsenic isn't really in the deep water naturally but that arsenic is released from the crushing of the rock when deep wells, where water lies below a level of rock, are perforated. In NA, the first 40 feet or so was dirt. Then they hit rock which was 60 - 65 feet. 
The rate of descent was slow, the big drill bit broke a few times, but
finally the driller struck the water they've been using since Aug. 07.
Problem probably is that the arsenic gets into the water from the crushing 
of the rock I guess. I'm not the expert here, but I just hope they can
locate a place where we can begin anew, cheaply, with good water and then 
solarize it from the outset. Be well. Pray. PW

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