CoCoDA

Since 2011, Companion Community Development Alternatives (CoCoDA) has developed six water systems in rural Central American communities.  The goal for 2019 is to retrofit two community based, electrically powered systems in El Salvador (Aguacayo and El Roble) with solar power, as well as build a new solar powered system in Zacataloza, Nicaragua.   Each project will involve a solar panel array on a tower, an inverter, and a pumping station.  Water is pumped from a water source to a distribution tank above the community, where it is chlorinated, and gravity fed to faucets at each home.  These projects – while providing clean, accessible and affordable water to communities – create a community owned public utility that bypasses the electric company, making these systems both autonomous and sustainable.  These projects benefit rural communities that have been previously neglected and are part of the 15% of Central American communities without access to clean water.  The three systems will bring clean water to nearly 1000 people.  The total project costs $111,000, with AllPeopleBeHappy foundation contributing $5,000 toward this effort.   (www.cocoda.org)