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AguaClara
Lead Institution: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Collaborating Institutions: Non-profit sector, international water organizations,
national and local government
Category: Global/Humanitarian
Date Implemented: Spring 2005
Website: aguaclara.cee.cornell.edu
Program Description: The AguaClara program at Cornell students and the duration of their
University is a group of faculty and students working together participation in the project
with the goal of researching, inventing, and designing sustain- (approximately 3 semesters). Many
able municipal-scale drinking water treatment plants to em- graduate and undergraduate students have made the decision to
power resource-poor communities around the world. Through attend Cornell because of the experience offered by the Agua-
our partnership with a local non-profit organization, water Clara program. Over one hundred students have traveled to
treatment plants designed by Cornell students are being built in Honduras during the January intercession for an educational
Honduras on an ongoing basis. There are currently six plants exchange trip. Students engage with the plant operators,
providing safe drinking water to 32,300 people every day. The community members, and local engineers to gain a more
AguaClara water treatment plant technology addresses the complete understanding of the problem and context for which
global challenge of providing a sustainable they are designing. AguaClara technology
method for surface water treatment for has reached over 32,300 people.
human consumption. The AguaClara Assessment Information: The AguaClara
Program designs treatment systems that program can be evaluated by the amount of
function at the community scale rather than student interest it has generated and sus-
at point of use, and the ensuing economies tained since 2005. The quality of the
of scale make the cost of safe drinking water sustainable even students' work can be seen in the performance of the water
to communities with very limited recourses. The AguaClara treatment plants they designed -- over 32,000 people are now
technology seeks to rectify the shortcomings of the available served by AguaClara technology in Honduras. The fiscal
community drinking water treatment plant technologies by sustainability of the plants can be assessed based on their
offering a design based on the real water quality, economic, financial viability in the long run. All seven of the plants built
operational, and governance needs of small and mid-sized since the program's inception in 2005 remain in service, and the
developing communities. AguaClara technology is being used water boards that control them have successfully managed
by community-based water service organizations in small and tariffs to keep the plants well maintained. The pride community
mid-size towns in Honduras. The local Water Board is trained members take in taking charge of their water supply is evident
in the administration of the treatment plant. One or more local in the words of Antonia Lira, the president of the water board in
residents become plant operators, responsible for the daily Alauca, Honduras: "We have time to overcome the errors that
operation of the treatment plant as paid employees of the Water our grandfathers made. They have passed the bill on to us, and
Board. As the purveyor of the technology, Agua Para el Pueblo it's our turn to pay it. Now, thanks to God, man has given us
(APP) directs the construction and training programs, but the this technology, this plant. I feel very proud that I've given
end owner and beneficiary of the project is the community something good to my children. They will have clean water,
through its Water Board. The Water Board independently treated water."
administers the completed project exclusively with the water Funding/Sustainability: Typically, local government funds 15
fees it collects from users and without subsidy. It is not uncom- -20% of the project and international organizations contribute
mon for an AguaClara research team to take an idea for an the remainder through APP. After construction, the low
improvement to a plant component, research the constraints, operational costs of AguaClara plants facilitate full support by
design and build a prototype and send the design to Honduras local communities. Although APP has been the primary
to be built into a plant within a year. This fast turnaround time purveyor of AguaClara to date, the delivery process could be
allows students to see the direct impact of their work before replicated by other institutions with engineering and govern-
graduating from Cornell. The direct link to the real world also ance expertise in community water supply. The initial costs are
motivates students to do high-quality work with externally difficult to estimate, including program founder Monroe Weber
imposed deadlines. -Shirk's salary, laboratory space donated by the department,
Anticipated and Actual Outcomes: When the AguaClara laboratory supplies, and preliminary trips to Honduras. Ap-
program began, the students and faculty involved with the proximately $175,000 would be estimated for these costs. The
program expected to develop a solution that fit the context of San Juan Foundation provided much of the initial funding.
resource-poor communities in Honduras, to allow users in real- Funding from a $200,000 National Science Foundation grant
world conditions evaluate this solution, and to use this feedback provided some salary support. The EPA's P3 competition
to improve the designs. The students who participate in the provided $85,000 for chemical dosing research (2009-2011).
AguaClara program have taken advantage of the opportunity to The undergraduate and graduate students associated with the
engage with a global problem, as evidenced by the number of project apply for funding on an ongoing basis.
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