PVC Pipe Brings Clean Water to Families in Rural Honduras

Another community in Honduras has clean, running water thanks to an ongoing project from Water Engineers for the Americas (WEFTA).

The town of La Rinconada, Belen, recently put the finishing touches on a brand-new water system. The system includes a PVC transmission line, a tank, chlorine disinfection, PVC distribution lines, and residential taps for 24 families.

The families did the hard work—much of it by hand.

A key requirement in any WEFTA project is that the community be an active participant. This means that the residents of La Rinconada were required to invest in the project with both sweat equity and a financial contribution.

Sweat equity is just one reason why PVC pipe is a good option for community water projects.

PVC pipe is cost-effective, light, and durable.

There are a number of good reasons to use PVC pipe. Because PVC pipe is light, it’s easy to transport and install. In addition, installing PVC pipe doesn’t require specialized equipment or outside contractors. This makes it a good choice for a project in which the work is being done by community volunteers without special training—or heavy equipment.

The initiative in La Rinconada was spearheaded by WEFTA, with support from the Vinyl Institute and the American Chemistry Council’s Chlorine Chemistry Division. This continues an industry-NGO partnership that began in 2004 and has resulted in the installation of new PVC pipelines and lifesaving water purification and distribution systems in several other rural communities in Honduras.