A&M University Partners with VAVV to Provide Engineering Support
Dec. 20, 2019 - Dallas, Texas | A&M University Partners with VAVV to Provide Engineering Support
Developing partnerships with local resources is part of making things work within the nonprofit sector, where groups and individuals share their skills and knowledge to enhance projects and help each other meet specific goals. These partnerships are also beneficial to lessen the high cost of contracting specialized consultants.
One example of a partnership is Vera Aqua Vera Vita collaborating with a Texas A&M University Senior Capstone Team that met for a meeting on Dec. 9, 2019, to discuss an important Peru project VAVV is working on in hopes of implementing in 2020.
The TAMU TrueWater project team, along with VAVV as a partnering consultant, has formed a joint venture to develop a sanitary sewer system master plan for the community of Monte Castillo, Peru. This plan is Phase Two of the ongoing efforts in Monte Castillo.
Phase One was completed in August 2019 when VAVV opened the faucets in Monte Castillo to provide clean, safe water from a small water treatment facility where it serves the community of 7,000 residents in northern Peru.
“Now that the drinking water needs of the community have been met, VAVV has turned their attention to the wastewater issues,” said Jacob Niemeier, founder and executive director of VAVV.
“The sewer system existing infrastructure is at best described as barely functional,” he said. “It is dangerous to the environment and the health and well-being of the residents.”
As with many partnerships, logistics have to be smoothed out before the process begins. “The meeting went very smoothly and was fruitful,” said Niemeier. Projects were addressed, for example, the access to project files and data for the students, reviews and the scheduling of “immediate” steps of the project, he said. For the TAMU TrueWater team, clarifications are necessary for the Senior Capstone Design Team “to ensure that VAVV project aligns with course requirements,” said Carlos Garcia, a VAVV volunteer civil engineer from Arlington, Texas, and a member of the VAVV Engineering Team.
Within this project exchange, Niemeier said VAVV will compile the data from the Monte Castillo sanitary sewer system and detailed information on its existing condition including photos of the various infrastructure components in need of repair. Next, TAMU TrueWater team will receive the data in a design/mapping system called Autodesk Computer Aided Design (CAD) software system. Autodesk will display the existing conditions data in a digitized map making it easy for the TAMU TrueWater team to evaluate the data.
The TAMU True Water Team’s goal is to deliver a database map of the existing wastewater system and proposed improvements, along with providing design considerations for select problem areas. A risk-based prioritized list of the improvements including construction cost estimates, suggested maintenance plan, and a master plan summary report will also be developed. The estimated time for the work outside the classroom is estimated to be more than 480 hours.
“Design alternatives should also factor in the economic and material constraints of the community of Monte Castillo,” Niemeier said. “Upon completion of the project, the TAMU students might have the opportunity to travel with VAVV on a mission trip to Monte Castillo to see the initial stages of their work being implemented.”
