At left, UTSA graduate student Louis Manz in the Honduras El Paraison district,
where he is testing the water supply. Center, Center for Water Research Director
Weldon Hammond talks to a Honduran man. At right, a local Honduran family.
UTSA graduate student helps improve Honduran water supply
(Oct. 10, 2001)--After retiring from the Air Force, Louis Manz wasn't ready to settle down just yet, so he decided to pursue his master's degree in the College of Sciences. As a research assistant for the UTSA Center for Water Research (CWR), Manz has worked in Honduras to help the local people improve a polluted water supply.
Manz learned about the poor water conditions in Honduras through project at his church, which moved him to travel there for a first hand-look at the situation and to see how he could help
On his first visit, he tested 10 water wells and found that nine of them contained very high amounts of e-coli bacteria. E-coli bacteria and other water related diseases claim 1.6 billion lives worldwide according to recent statistics. Church officials associated with the project report the hand-dug wells often are contaminated with human refuse and dead animals that cause much illness.
With the preliminary site assessment complete, College of Science Professor Steve Brown plans to assist with aerial maps provided by Global Information System (GIS) software. The plan is to take a drilling rig to Honduras, and drill a number of small wells, less than 200 feet deep, and teach the people how to protect their water supplies.
"This project can serve as a model for water resource plans for underdeveloped regions in the world. The first step is to find the water, but subsequent issues include distribution, storage and water treatment," said Weldon Hammond, Center for Water Research director.
The project is an opportunity for the CWR to make a meaningful contribution, both from a humanitarian standpoint and from that of enhancing UTSA's research institution profile, according to Hammond.
As for Manz, once he completes his master's degree he plans to pursue his doctorate degree at UTSA.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
Romo
honored with ACLU Maury Maverick Sr. Award
UTSA graduate student helps improve Honduran water supply
Presidential
appointee named dean of College of Education and Human Development
Nominations
sought to fill UTSA staff council positions
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2001