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
