Around the World: Training in Nicaragua

The need for clean drinking water takes our global team to interesting places.  In September, Juan Quintero found himself in Nicaragua.  Among the interesting attractions is an island called Ometepe, which is in a freshwater lake not far off the western coast.  The island, created by 2 volcanos is one of the three most important tourist destinations in Nicaragua.  Moyogalpa and Altagracia are the main cities on the island.

InterAmerican Developing Bank IDB provided financing and the Nicaraguan Company of Aqueducts and Sewers (ENACAL) provided the management for a project called the “Construction of the Improvement and Expansion of the Drinking Water System of the Moyogalpa and Altagracia towns”. The project called for the installation of 39 kilometers of HDPE pipes from 2” to 14”, three Pumping Stations, 414 manholes, and the construction of two Wastewater Treatment Plants. This will improve the sanitary conditions for 2,300 families or 12,500 people from the two cities.

Originally the project was planned to use PVC, but with the help of the distributor ITALSAN, the contractor decided to use HDPE.  This was a wise decision given the corrosive soils present and the fact that one of the volcanos is still active.  Over 4 days in Moyogalpa, Juan trained 9 students to use their new equipment. To complete the job a TracStar® 618, DataLogger® 7, DynaMc® 412, Pit Bull® 26, Pit Bull 14, and Sidewinder® were needed.  According to Juan, the benefits of our equipment were immediately noticed with the TracStar because they were able to reach the most remote places on the island without the need for additional transportation.