Drinking water for El Salvador - A cooperation with the UES and the ZHW

In El Salvador the drinking water is very precious, this condition got worse after a series of earthquakes. However exactly drinking water represents one of the most important basic needs of the human being. Approximately 95% of the surface waters in the country is polluted. At least 60% of the population is without drinking water.
The problem of the drinking water supply should be solved by the ANDA (Administration National de Acuedoctos of y Accantarillados), a privat organisation. However this authority executes only single drinking water controls and is not taken poorer areas into account on that occasion. In order to guarantee drinking water also for these regions in 1994 Professor Frank Escher (ZHW) and the PRO-VIDA (Asociacion Salvadoreña Ayuda Homanitaria) started the project "Drinking water for El Salvador". They build a mobile drinking water laboratory, and trained an assistant chemist for the water control as instructed "Promotores de salud". After the earthquake in January 2001 the PRO-VIDA must secure the quality of the drinking water in different strongly concerned regions.
Since the drinking water problem even grows up, the PRO-VIDA must be controlled through another authority. For this reason, the project contains the building of a drinking water laboratory at the UES (Universidad de El Salvador). We built an analytical laboratory for the control of bacteriological contamination and the most important physical and chemical parameters. Some professors and laboratory assistants were instructed in the respective devices and applications.
First contacts with the UCA (Universidad Centro Americana José Simeón Cañas) and the USAM (Universidad Salvadoreña Alberto Masferrer) was successful, and a cooperation was welcomed. The foundations for further relationships with other Swiss Universities of Applied Science, in the particular with the ZHW (Zurich University of Applied Science Winterthur), could be laid. This is an important step to build a wider and more professional drinking water control, which is necessary through the always more strongly nascent chemical contamination of the water.
Another main focus was the control of a waste water purifier, constructed by the COSUDE (Agencia Suiza para el desarrollo y la cooperation - SDC). After a first successful checkup, we handed it over to the UES and the ANDA for further controls.
Without the help of the ZHW - Department of Chemistry, the SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), the SAW (Swiss workers relief organisation) and different donations of privately people and the industry, this project would not have taken place.
Thank you.

Mevio Heierli
Dipl. chem. HTL
mevio.heierli@gmx.ch