Our Project
The Princeton Engineers Without Borders USA Dominican Republic team worked to improve the potable water system in El Cajuil, a small farming community of 120 households located about a mile from Loma de Cabrera, in the Dajabon province of the Dominican Republic. The old water distribution system in the community of El Cajuil was built 30 years ago to support a population half its current size of approximately 600 people. Community members reported significantly varied distribution: some get constant water flow, while others report not receiving water for days on end. Our team has finished its project and has succeeded in bringing clean, reliable water flow to the people of El Cajuil. The project wrapped up in 2020, and the team has transitioned into the Ecuador project.
The Team’s Finished Work
We had three trips for assessment and implementation. In the summer of 2016, our team first travelled to El Cajuil to begin addressing the inefficiencies and pathogen levels in the water. In August 2017, our team assessed the site and determined that distribution inefficiencies and possible leaks are greatly reducing the delivery of water through an aging pipeline system. We installed new water meters throughout the system, and so had a better understanding of the system. We found several major leaks that caused El Cajuil to lose several thousands of gallons of water per day. In 2018, we made major modifications to the system by adding 1.8 km of new pipeline to loop the system and regulate water pressure, built a bridge for a pipeline river crossing, and added a filtration and chlorination system.