A presentation providing a brief summary of volunteer engineering projects I have been involved with in Honduras while working in collaboration with the Civil Engineering Department at CSU, Chico and Universidad Politécnica de Ingeniería.

1. Appropriate Engineering Solutionsfor Developing Nations California State University, Chico in collaboration with Universidad Politécnica de Ingeniería

2. Access to Sanitation WHO – Estimates 2.6 Billion people are without access to improved sanitation facilities worldwide (most in developing countries) Clean drinking water 900 million people without access to clean drinking water Wastewater treatment Solid waste management Problems associated with lack of sanitation Increased risk of pathogen transmission WHO – Estimates 1.5 Million children under age of 5 die every year from diarrhea Disease Virus Parasites

3. HONDURAS Population – 7,989,415 Population below poverty line - 59% Unemployed or underemployed - 36% Major infectious diseases; Food or waterborne diseases Bacterial diseases Hepatitus A Typhoid Fever Helminth – Ascaris infections Vectorborne diseases Dengue Fever Malaria Water contact diseases Leptospirosis

4. Projects in Honduras Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Renovation and Expansion of existing Natural Wastewater Stabilization Lagoons. Tela, Honduras Solid Waste Management Proposed closure plan of open dump and new management plan for new sanitary landfill. Tela, Honduras Sanitation and Medical Facilities Design, procurement, and construction oversight for recyclers residing in an open dump. Tegucigalpa, Honduras

5. Municipality of Tela, Honduras Currently owns and operates a natural wastewater stabilization lagoon system serving 8,000 residents.

6. Caribbean Ocean Tela, Honduras Rio Hylan Lagoon System

7. Tertiary Lagoon Secondary Lagoon Rio Hylan Primary Lagoon

8. Problem Identification – Sludge Accumulation 15 years of sludge accumulation Sludge had reached a depth of 4 meters Approximated volume of sludge is 3,000 cubic meters

9. Problem Identification – Flow Measurement Improper design and construction of two Parshall flumes. No flow measurement of influent or effluent wastewater. Lacking grit chamber.

10. Problem Identification – Treated effluent and sustainability Treated effluent is discharged into the Rio Hylan Treated effluent could be used for agriculture Tertiary lagoon could also serve as a Tilapia farm

11. Problem Identification – Site Safety

12. Solutions and ImplementationProcess Initial steps; Collaborate with the Municipality Site investigation Work on feasible plan of action Develop design report to submit to Municipality Assist Municipality with funding and technical guidance through implementation

13. Sludge Removal

14. Parshall Flume

15. Implementation Sludge Removal Bypass channel Drain lagoon Remove sludge Store on-site Improve system sustainability Parshall flume Proposed reuse projects

16. Implementation – Bypass Channel

17. Implementation – Draining Primary Lagoon Pump and siphon draining Time to drain – 88 hours

18. Implementation – Desludging Primary Lagoon

19. Implementation – Parshall Flume Installation Arrival of TRACOM’s donated Parshall flume on-site Installation of fiberglass flume Properly operating flow measurement device

20. Sustainable Reuse Potential - Effluent Quality and WHO Guidelines 1. World Health Organization 2004

21. Caribbean Ocean Tela, Honduras Possible Land Application Proposed Nursery Location Possible Aquaculture

22. Solid Waste Management Wastewater Stabilization Lagoons Solid Waste Disposal Site

23. Solid Waste Management in Tela

25. Mosquitoes

26. Rats

28. Only source of income

30. Medical Waste

32. If buried, tires will eventually rise to the surface of the landfill

33. Tires hold water or leachate that is hazardous and is a breeding ground for insect vectors such as mosquitoes

34. Chemicals

35. May leak and harm workers, scavengers, and animals

36. May react with other chemicals deposited in the dump, possibly forming a more toxic byproduct.Currently no separation of Tela’s solid and special wastes

37. Tela Dump Closure A proper design for closure of a dump ensures that the waste will be covered with a minimum thickness of soil, known as the final cover (or cap). A properly designed final cover should: Provide durable surface drainage systems over the landfill Control infiltration of rainfall into the waste Control erosion of its surface (by wind and water runoff) Control the migration of gas and leachate generated within the landfilledwaste Control disease transmitting vectors

38. Tela Dump Closure

40. Minimal land usage and cover material required

41. Not feasible for developing countries due to:

42. Cost considerations

43. Equipment maintenance requirements

44. Cover material requirements

46. Alternative Methods: Trench Method Landfill A series of properly sized trenches in parallel are excavated as required, depending on the process design. Waste is deposited in the trenches, and when the trench is full (which will occur approximately once-per-month for a properly designed trench), the excavated material is used as cover.

47. Trench Method Landfill Immediate availability of cover without the need for full-time heavy equipment to compact, excavate and haul cover is a major advantage of the trench method.

48. Trench Method

49. Leachate, Methane and Decomposition

50. Communal Sanitation Facilities at the Tegucigalpa Solid Waste Disposal Site

52. United States Army Corps of Engineers

53. Universidad Politécnica de Ingeniería (UPI)

54. California State University, Chico (CSUC)

56. Recyclers play a valuable role in the solid waste disposal process

58. Reduce cost to government (municipality)

61. High risk of tuberculosis, dysentery, parasites, asthma, bronchitis, helminths

62. High infant mortality rate

64. Proposed Site

66. 180,000 L/month for laundry and bathing using a wash basin

67. 135,000 L/month for showers

70. Continuous connection to municipal water supply

71. Controlled connection to municipal water supply

72. Connection to proximal groundwater well

74. Emptying the Latrine Pits Source: EPA, 2009

76. Stabilization lagoons

77. Facultative

78. Maturation

80. Recomendations To Minimize Water Requirements: Wash Basins - Landfill Operator or recycler will fill basins once daily. Organized leaders from the recyclers will charge for water usage. Recyclers will be allowed one 20 liter bucket per day for laundry and bathing, therefore No Showers. Water demand – 180,000L/Month

81. On- and Off-Site Reuse Materials for Building

83. Provide identification, recognition and registration of recyclers