Safe Water and Sanitation InitiativeBerkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies
Water Quality Testing Field Researcher
for the Mesita Azul Project, La Paz, BCS, Mexico
Deadline: March 15th
Fundacion Cantaro Azul is a non-profit organization based in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, that strives to improve health in rural communities through water and hygiene projects that combine appropriate technology with social marketing. Cantaro Azul has designed and pilot tested a comprehensive package that consists on a UV water disinfection technology (Mesita Azul) and a hand-washing alternative (Limpiamanos), which is implemented through a series of services necessary to ensure its appropriateness, viability, effectiveness, and long-term adoption.
The Mesita Azul is an ultraviolet water disinfection and storage system based on the UV Tube design concept developed at UC Berkeley. It offers users an attractive method to access safe water by allowing them to disinfect their daily drinking needs in less than 10 minutes, without changing the original taste and temperature of water.
The Limpiamanos –commonly known as hand sanitizer– offers users an appealing alternative to hand washing, especially in communities that lack of water infrastructure. When applied in hands, the alcohol-based gel kills pathogens and evaporates in a matter of seconds, leaving a refreshing and moisturizing sensation.
The services provided by Cantaro Azul include: 1) regional assessment, 2) adaptation of the package to region, 3) community assessment, 4) educational program, 5) installation of Mesita Azul and promotion of Limpiamanos, 6) house-to-house evaluation, 7) regional assessment.
In the fall of 2006, Cantaro Azul pilot tested this comprehensive package with 14 families. The study showed that users were willing and able to contribute with $36 for the implementation of the project (1/5 of total costs); that Mesitas Azules provided users with access to safe drinking water; that the Limpiamanos was accepted and valued as an alternative to hand washing; and that a demand for the package was created in the region.
Fundacion Cantaro Azul, the Safe Water and Sanitation Initiative (SWSI) at Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies, and the Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) SEED program have joined efforts to implement and evaluate this comprehensive package with 40 families living in the region of Los Dolores. The community assessments will be carried out in April 2007. The educational program, installations, and promotion will take place in May. The program will have a strong evaluation phase that will be carried out during the summer, with the objective of generating information for improving the comprehensive package and measuring its effectiveness. If the results are positive, the evaluation will be used as a validation of the package, which will be a crucial step for promoting its implementation in other regions. Cantaro Azul will finalize the project with a regional assessment in 2008 to evaluate its long-term impacts.
The evaluation phase will be divided in a social and a water quality component. The social component seeks to identify the elements of the package that attract users to participate in the program, as well as the factors that promote or deter the long-term adoption of the Mesita Azul and Limpiamanos. The social component of the study will be carried out during a series of field visits through house-to-house interviews, direct observation, and focus groups.
The objective of the water quality component is to test, under real conditions, the effectiveness of the Mesita Azul in disinfecting and storing drinking water. The test consists in:
- Collecting samples of untreated water from the source, as well as treated and stored water from the Mesita Azul for each of the 40 families that participate in the study.
- Inputting results in spreadsheets.
The test will be repeated in five occasions following the installation of the Mesitas Azules in remote rural communities. Each visit will last three days in which 165 samples will be collected and analyzed. It takes 6 minutes to analyze each sample, totaling 16.5 hours of lab work per visit.
The SWSI, the ESW SEED program, and Cantaro Azul seek a Field Researcher to work for two months during the summer 2007 in the evaluation of the Mesitas Azules. The Field Researcher will be responsible for carrying out the water quality tests and will contribute in the data analysis. The Field Researcher will travel to and work in the communities together with Cantaro Azul staff. The Field Researcher will also participate in other activities related to the implementation and evaluation of the comprehensive package promoted by Cantaro Azul. Prior to the beginning of the program, and with support from the SWSI staff, the Field Researcher must learn and excel in the water quality testing techniques that will be used in this study. Also, the Field Researcher will participate in a Volunteering Orientation session organized by the ESW SEED program. The SWSI and Cantaro Azul will seek to publish the results of the study in a peered-review journal, in which the Field Researcher will participate as a contributing author.
- A good command of Spanish, a teamwork attitude, and sensibility to detail are indispensable to carryout and enjoy the activities of this project.
- Background or interest in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector in developing countries (e.g. Public Health, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences, etc).
- Student will be based in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, for two months. The student will travel and stay in remote rural communities for up to 20 days.
- Funding will be available for student’s airfare, lodging, food, and travel insurance.
- UC Berkeley will provide field training for student during Spring 2007.
- Student must also to apply for SEED project funding from Engineers for Sustainable World at http://www.eswusa.org/projects/apply.asp
If interested in applying for this position, contact us by March 15:
Blum’s SWSI, Project Leader Blum’s SWSI, Initiative Coordinator Fundacion Cantaro Azul, Co-Director amyjanel@berkeley.edu reygadas@berkeley.edu (510) 410-2666 +52 (612) 128-0814