Lake Atitlan
It´s Tuesday and we are into day two of our work at Pachetulu. We are helping to build a public wash station in a village of 14 families. Not only will this be a place for the village women to gather to wash clothing, but it will be a water supply for the pueblo. Currently the only water available is from the finca (plantation), which seems to becoming less reliable to the community. Also, a law has just been passed stating that nobody is allowed to wash in the lake. Lake Atitlan is suffering from algea due to run off from farms (primarily), sewage and the fact that it is the primary wash station for all the cities surronding the lake. Truth is, as long as the fincas use high powered chemical fertalizers it is going to be a growing problem.
The piping to a water tank, which is located on a hilltop owned by the Permaculter Institute, which is located in close proximity to the pueblo, the tank and piping to Pachetulu is in place. We are working on the actual washing stations and the system to teat the gray water watse. The gray water is being treated via a banana pit.
A banana pit is a hole 3 meters deep. The hole is hand dug along with hauling out huge rocks. (Pictures to come.) The bottom of the pit will be filled with sand then gravel and topped off with organic plant matter. The banana trees will be planted around the holes. Banana trees do three things very well. They filter out chemicals like phosphates which are killing the lake. They are hugely evaporative so they will suck out the water from the pit, and they produce bananas, which is a better by-product than I get from my septic system up in Colorado.
Got to go, dinner is on the table. I promise to send pictures soon
Roy in San Lucas Tolimon, Gutemala
The piping to a water tank, which is located on a hilltop owned by the Permaculter Institute, which is located in close proximity to the pueblo, the tank and piping to Pachetulu is in place. We are working on the actual washing stations and the system to teat the gray water watse. The gray water is being treated via a banana pit.
A banana pit is a hole 3 meters deep. The hole is hand dug along with hauling out huge rocks. (Pictures to come.) The bottom of the pit will be filled with sand then gravel and topped off with organic plant matter. The banana trees will be planted around the holes. Banana trees do three things very well. They filter out chemicals like phosphates which are killing the lake. They are hugely evaporative so they will suck out the water from the pit, and they produce bananas, which is a better by-product than I get from my septic system up in Colorado.
Got to go, dinner is on the table. I promise to send pictures soon
Roy in San Lucas Tolimon, Gutemala
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