Water in Jaramillo Boquete Panama

Posted by Lee on September 1, 2008

Being in Panama as a Pensionado I am guest in this country not invited or wanted involved in politics. There is one exception I have discovered the politics of water. IDAAAN the national water system is not involved in the water supply in Boquete Panama. There are certainly many who might want them involved if they could actually solve the perennial problem of taps that open to emptiness.

Boquete has chosen a different path, separate rural water districts, each operating under a MINSA resolution number 28 of 31 January 1994. Two of these districts Jaramillo Centro and Alto Jaramillo have entered a combined project designed to keep the water flowing for some time to come.

Through the past two Presidencies a local woman, Adela Caballero has worked to obtain funding for an expanded local aqueduct system. On 17 July 2007 Panama received a World Bank loan project P082419, $26,600,000USD were provided to MINSA the Ministry of Health to improve rural water supply, sanitation and Hygiene. From that fund the Jaramillo Aqueduct was born. A $192,000 project with 90%, the material cost being provided as a grant from MINSA and labor valued at $19,200 provided by the Jaramillo community.

At the Alto Jaramillo water meeting in early 2008 the community was informed of the project and told we needed to either contribute in labor or in dollars to the completion of the project. The newly elected water committee was saddled with the project and told we needed it or Jaramillo would follow in the shadow of Alto Boquete and other areas that have severe water problems. Even though the meeting was a true lesson in community democracy all the decisions had already been made and there was no real detailed information offered or provided after several more meetings the facts were totally unclear except for these, each household would need to contribute $100 or ten days for labor toward the project. That would fulfill the $19,200 local contribution to the funding.

In addition a new water rate schedule was announced that penalized “extranjero” Expat members of the community by charging them more for water than local people. There has been a great deal of discussion in the Jaramillo community about this project and the new rate structure.

Questions include, why is the rate structure for water unfair, why did we need the aqueduct when massive upgrades were done just two years ago, who will own the system when it is done, why is the water being taken from seven kilometers up La India not a closer source and when it is all complete when happens next.

As the discussion continued local people mostly from Alto Jaramillo and several extranjeros have been busy moving people, feeding people, moving material and building the project.

There has also been a local effort led by Ruby McKenzie, Elizebeth Worley and their employees, Rosa, Jesus and Alexis to do fund raising to help local people who cannot work or pay $100. This project has earned about $700 so far.

The project is getting close to completion and now thanks to the efforts of mostly the Alto Jaramillo community we have real answers from a primary source to the many questions about this aqueduct project.

On 30 August a small community meeting was held in the offices of Boquete Highlands Realty with Mario Moreno of MINSA the man in charge of all rural aqueduct projects in Chiriqui, the Representante for Jaramillo and several members of the Jaramillo community, both English and Spanish speakers.

Here is a summary of what we now know and what we still do not know.

The existing Alto Jaramillo water system was sufficient for current and short term future community needs except that it did not meet new MINSA standards for water purity and was not being maintained. The Centro Jaramillo system is totally inadequate and could not supply community needs. Instead of installing a new system for Centro Jaramillo alone it was decided to install one system for both communities. This of course does not address the maintenance issues which center on valves being stolen.

The new system has a 13,000 gallon holding tank and will chlorinate the water. The source was selected by both the previous water board and MINSA for it’s capacity, purity and year round availability.

Once the system is complete the contractor will turn it over to MINSA which will then turn it over to the local water committees. Each household in both districts must provide either $100 or ten days of labor to the project. Once the system is turned over to the Alto Jaramillo Junta MINSA will supervise a new legal rate document.

The issue of higher water rates for extrenjeros was discussed and the official from MINSA explained that the outgoing water board passed these rates without consulting MINSA and that despite the fact it is illegal to charge more based on national origin nothing can be done until the community votes to change the rates. He promised this will happen with MINSA involvement after the aqueduct is competed and transferred to the community.

There is a great deal of community participation in the completion of this project. I would like to thank Jim Seltzer, Kent and Phyllis McNaughton, Ruby McKenzie Dave Ryan, Glen Bolstom, Elizebeth Worley and Rhody Edwards and any others I am not aware of for becoming involved with labor, transportation and food. This effort has really made a positive impact on the local community.

Comments

2 Responses to “Water in Jaramillo Boquete Panama”

1. James Seltzer says:

   September 3, 2008 at 8:02 am

   How do I make sure that I am getting credit for the time worked and also that my garndner is getting credit.