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BajaBlanca
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Location: La Bocana, BCS
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Water for the Indigenous Family $100 needed FUNDED
The background story:
We live in the tiny village of La Bocana, it is on the Pacific, in Baja California Sur. There is a local Indian Family with 7 kids living here. Dad
had a vasectomy so there will be NO MORE BABIES. They really struggle to even put food on the table. They have no electricity. No water. They were
able to slowly pay off a lot close to where they live from a very kind land owner. It took years, but they did it. Which makes me believe in them
and for sure want to see them in their own decent home.
The need now:
6 of us here in town pooled funds and piped water to the family's lot.
After piping all the way from the main line to Tidiana and Abraham's lot, they still don't have water! It just does not reach their house. Maddening.
The worker who piped it all says that he chose a small pipe which he thought would work. We actually had the same problem at our house for months
and months and finally hubby Les reconfigured the system.
This huge family needs water! Cristian the SAPA man will redo the piping with dad Abraham doing most of the work. The local hardware store owner will
sell me, at cost, the 6 meters of 2"piping needed for this.
The total for pipes is $85 and I think for $15 we can pay off Cristian and of course, the main worker Abraham will work for free.
Anyone interested in helping out?
Here are the photos of the original layout.
Digging the trench.
Abraham filling trench in with dirt.
Installing a faucet that so far has not seen a drop of water. Frustration 100% for me.
and this last one is me, Blanca, paying off Cristian, the water guy from SAPA.
It would be so amazing to see water flowing to their lot!
[Edited on 11-25-2020 by BajaBlanca]
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CaboMagic
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Covered half ..
We are thankful for what we have,
We are thankful for what you do.
May the spirits of the seasons reach into all hearts and minds.
L&T
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AKgringo
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Before you spend more money on a larger pipe, you need to find out why there is no water flowing through a pipe which may be too
small, but there should be some water flowing.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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LancairDriver
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Maybe David K will see this and have some suggestions. He knows the water business.
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BajaBlanca
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THANKS LORI AND TOMMY!
So, what was explained to me is that by installing a bigger pipe at the main line, the water pressure into the smaller line will force the water to
go through.
Les says that their lot is also on high ground, like ours. It took us two months to get a drop of water as well since we are up on a hill.
I cannot tell you how frustrating this has been!
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mtgoat666
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What is water pressure with small line? Increasing diameter will increase rate of flow, but will not change water pressure. If water is not flowing
at all, it sounds like you got a blocked line or inadequate pressure.
BTW, Looks like that pipe is buried only 6 or 8 inches below grade. Bury it at least 24 inches to prevent damage and keep water cooler.
Also, Digging a narrow trench with an adze and pick will be easier than digging with a straight edge shovel I see in the pic.
[Edited on 11-23-2020 by mtgoat666]
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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RnR
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Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  | Increasing diameter will increase rate of flow, but will not change water pressure.
[Edited on 11-23-2020 by mtgoat666] |
Goat is right.
And something else is wrong.
Adding 20 ft of 2" dia pipe is not going to do anything to change the big picture.
Have somebody (SAPA?) measure the pressure (in psi) at the tap to the main line. Better yet, at the point where you intend to start installing the 2"
new pipe.
Have somebody measure the elevation difference (in ft) from the location of the pressure measurement to the outlet of the spigot.
Then, calculate the maximum allowable elevation difference based on the available pressure. Each foot of elevation change consumes (or needs)
0.433 psi to push the water up that one foot.
When you get to the spigot elevation, you will need a minimum of 10 psi left over to get any real flow of water to come out of the spigot. 20 psi
would be better.
(There are other pressure losses along the way due to pipe friction losses, but, at low flow rates, these losses are also minimal)
If the available pressure can not overcome the change in elevation, water will never flow from the spigot.
This simplified hydraulic analysis may even be a good, real life engineering problem for the students in the local math class.
If the analysis determines that there should be adequate pressure at the spigot, then something is blocking or plugging the waterline to the property.
[Edited on 11-23-2020 by RnR]
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BajaBill74
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RnR, what you say is correct. However I might point out that Mexico uses the metric system. (Which is better IMO.)
What I'm doing at work is so secret, even I don't know what I'm doing!
One should believe in God, because even Google doesn't know everything.
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RnR
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Noted !
I am familiar with the metric unit of pressure - Pascal (Pa) or Nm2 (newton/sq meter)
However, I live in a small Mexican village and have never heard anything but "libras" used for a pressure measurement.
(Libras = pounds. Not even pounds/sq in)
Applies to tire pressures, water pressures, the Mx gauges on the water system pumps, etc.
Most length/height measurements are quoted in metric (cm, meter) but just about every albanil that I know can work in ft/inches just as easily as
m/cm. Most of their tape measures actually have dual scales.
Mixing Imperial pressure with Metric distance would result in some really strange conversion factors. So, I chose to use Imperial units only.
[Edited on 11-23-2020 by RnR]
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gnukid
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Money is not the issue.
Bigger pipe is not the issue and is not a good idea.
Each home in a pueblo should have max 1/2 inch line to receive an equal share of water, it is strictly against rules for one person to put in larger
distribution lines.
The issue usually is the tank and line should be lower in the ground. They will need a pump to move the water from the lower tank to the house or to
another higher tank.
Dig hole for the cistern and build it properly. There are no shortcuts.
[Edited on 11-23-2020 by gnukid]
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gnukid
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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca |
So, what was explained to me is that by installing a bigger pipe at the main line, the water pressure into the smaller line will force the water to
go through.
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Absolutely not legal, if everyone puts in bigger pipes at every location the whole city water system will fail. Each property must maintain similar
pipe size at 1/2 inch to be fair.
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BajaBlanca
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Well, there is no one with any equipment in town to measure any pressure.
Hubbie says pressure is always different, and most likely almost non-existent where they are. Cristian does all the water connections for our whole
town. This is not a new problem, I hope and pray that he knows what he is doing.
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mtnpop
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Pretty simple to build a pressure test unit... a pressure gauge and a few pvc fittings u2u me your email and I will send you a pic of one that we
made up to use with the RV..
going a couple hundred feet or more with 1/2" pvc will have much friction loss works the same as fire hoses.. the longer they are the less pressure at
the nozzle. I can't imagine that changing out the first half with larger pipe then to 1/2 is illegal but what do I know?? you are adding some volume
/pressure at the front end...
First thing I would do is check the tap.. the saddle at the conneciton to the main. they may not have punched a good enouth hole at the
connection... having dealt with SAPA in Mulege for many years and problems there no telling what the tap is like..
you can also install a 12volt pump in line with a small solar supply to push some pressure also...
Just a few thoughts now my brain hurts... good luck.
[Edited on 11-24-2020 by mtnpop]
Common sense is a flower that doesn\'t grow in everyone\'s garden.....
A wise man once spoke nothing.....
Never kick a cow chip on a hot day!!
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advrider
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I'm good for the $100 but would agree the real problem needs to be figured out. Either way let me know and I will get it set off to you.
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Salsa
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Easy problem to solve.
Los Barriles water system comes through every house in a very small pipe and it is often off. The flow is not enough to take a shower.
Every house has a storage facility for water. Some are underground tanks and some are rooftop tanks.
IF the water is shut off for hours or a day it does not mater.
They need a water storage method.
Don
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BajaBlanca
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Thanks everyone for your thoughts. First off, there are meters at the exit that measure the amount water coming out (at most houses) so I am
presuming it does not matter one iota how big or small the pipe is after that meter.
We do need to buy them a tinaco. OK. for a family of 9, maybe more than one since our water is often down as well. Storage storage storage.
oh how I wish I were smarter to understand all these ideas but alas, this is so above my head. so beyond my comprehension. and Les has so many of
his own projects, he laughs when I ask for help!!
Thanks advrider, I will keep you appraised.
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RnR
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Blanca,
Here is very low tech investigation to see if you can actually get water to the property.
1. Locate the closest functioning spigot to their property.
It may be a neighbor's house, or somebody's yard hydrant, whatever. As long it is the closest and water comes out of it.
2. Borrow a bunch of garden hoses and start hooking them up, one by one, until you get to their property or next to their new spigot.
Turn on the water after each length or two of hose is connected. If you suddenly reach the limit of water flow out of the last hose length, then,
that is it. The water will never go any farther unless the water system pressure is increased in the entire town.
If the water reaches the property through the hose but not through the new pipeline. Then there is plug in the pipeline.
Try the hose system at different times of the day, and night. System pressure may vary depending on the overall usage.
Good Luck.
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BajaBlanca
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RnR
There is property nearby with water.
The new pipeline is 2 months old, Cristian and owner Abraham installed it.
Hoses. Simple enough. We don't get water piped in every day. The system is one day La Bocana, the next Punta Abreojos.
Water pressure to the whole town has been solved by allowing the main storage unit to completely fill before opening it up. If there has been a
problem and most tanks or tinacos are empty, Cristian waits until night time when folks do not water the sand.
I wish they would not water the sand but the upside is that most are now creating gardens in their yards! So, now they are watering beautiful gardens
and not wasting water on plain sand to keep down the dust.
That is thanks to the pandemic, people spend way more time at home.
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Cliffy
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Don't need garden hoses which they may not have.
Its only 1/2 PVC
Cut the 1/2 inch PVC for the house right near where it connects to the main feed (as close as possible) and see if water flows. If it flows good,
Reconnect with a simple glue in PVC coupling. If flow is bad find out why.
Now go to the house and start 50 feet from the house and cut the 1/2 inch line and see if water flows.
Continue every 50 feet (15 meters) to see where the water stops.
You will either find a blockage in the line by finding a good flow of water at one cut than the next OR you will find that there is no flow due to too
low of pressure where it starts out at the main connection.
Fix the problem and just reconnect every cut with a simple PVC coupling which they have from the original installation.
Much cheaper this way than adding anything right now.
I doubt that the 2" addition will accomplish anything.
Find out if the water flows at the beginning and where it stops along the line.
My bet is not enough pressure at the beginning or a blockage along the line from dirt getting in the pipe when installed. Happens all the time.
You chose your position in life today by what YOU did yesterday
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gnukid
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Rate of fall over distance is a factor, often there is almost no pressure so the water just barely trickles along. I am last in the line for water any
many neighbors get no water and have to truck it, so I dug the hole for the cistern 4 meters deep and made sure the 1/2 pipe falls steadily, now I get
water as it begins to trickle in everyday over a few hours and use a submersible pump for pressure. I put one tank above the house to keep full for
emergency times when the power is out, plus a few barrels here and there.
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