Every country has a different way of getting clean water. In the United States, we are lucky enough to turn on our faucets and get safe, clean water right from the tap—but that is not the case here in Peru!
The community need that I learned about is the need for safe drinking water. I learned that even though the water comes from the mountains and goes through a captación and reservoir, where chlorine is added, it still is not completely safe to drink when it reaches people’s homes. Because of this, it is very important for families to boil their water to remove bacteria and make it safe. Learning about this helped me better understand the water system in my community and why education about boiling water and safe water practices is so important.
This community has this need because all around Peru, the way people receive their potable water is different. First, the water comes down from the mountain into a structure, called a captación. As it enters here, it is filtered so that leaves, rocks, dirt and bugs are removed. Once the water goes through this step, it is sent down a long pipe that is connected to another large structure, called the reservoir. When the water reaches the reservoir, chlorine is added.
