June Project Status Update: Construction Is Weeks Away & Our Missionaries Break Ground

June was a month of completion and convergence. In Las Mercedes KM11, VAVV delivered the final revision of the Technical Record (Construction Plans, Specifications, Calculations, and Proposed Construction Schedule) to the Regional Government of Piura — the last major engineering milestone before construction can begin — and the timeline is now pointing to the fourth week of July for groundbreaking, when VAVV missionaries will be on the ground alongside the community. In Las Mercedes, a formal engineering kickoff meeting launched the formal planning and design chapter of that project in earnest. While, in Totoral Bajo, the steady, patient work of data collection continued. Three communities. Three clear paths forward. Read on for the full picture.

Las Mercedes KM11 (approx. 1,200 people) — ON TRACK

The Technical Record Is Delivered. Construction Is Coming.

After months of coordination, revisions, and persistent engagement with the Regional Government of Piura, VAVV delivered the complete revised Technical Record on June 26 — a comprehensive package of construction plans, specifications, engineering calculations, and construction schedules, fully updated to comply with every recommendation the Regional Government had made. This is the document that makes construction possible. Getting it right took time. Getting it done took discipline. And now it is done.

Throughout June, the Water Committee continued its weekly meetings with VAVV, sharpening the operations, maintenance procedures, and financial controls that will govern the system once it is running. At the same time, VAVV met with the Municipality of Piura multiple times to work through the remaining requirements for the JASS — the community's Water and Sanitation Service Management Committee — to continue to push forward with registration in Public Records.

All of that sets the stage for what July holds — and July holds a lot.

Looking ahead: In the first week of July, we are anticipating the JASS will receive its official Municipal Recognition and complete registration in Public Records, securing the community's legal authority to own and operate their own water system. VAVV and the Regional Government will meet to finalize the bid-phase logistics and contractor selection plan. In the second week of July, VAVV and the Regional Government will meet with the selected contractor for the pre-construction meeting. The third week brings construction staking at the site by the topographic surveyor. And in the fourth week of July — the moment this community has been working toward — the hired contractor will break ground, with sweat equity and manual labor support from community members and the VAVV missionaries who will be in Piura from July 27 through August 2.

If you have ever wanted to witness what True Water, True Life looks like in real time, this is the moment.

Las Mercedes (approx. 1,200 people) — ON TRACK

Design Has Begun. The Well That Will Serve a Community Is Taking Shape.

June marked a turning point for Las Mercedes — from validation to design. The month opened with a milestone that had been months in the making: on June 13, the Village Association was officially incorporated, giving the community the legal authority to register easements, hold water rights, and form a JASS. Six days later, on June 18, a topographic survey was completed at the selected well site, capturing the precise elevation and ground data that our team need to design a system that will actually work.

And then on June 19, VAVV hosted the Kickoff Meeting for the Planning and Design of the Las Mercedes Groundwater Well and Infrastructure — the moment this project moved from technical preparation into active engineering. Throughout the rest of June, VAVV continued meeting with the engineering team, while the community began uploading land rights documentation to Public Records for the project area.

The well that will bring clean water to Las Mercedes is no longer a concept. It is being designed.

Looking ahead: By July 10, VAVV will complete the setup of a dedicated Project Management System and Autodesk Cloud platform for the project, then host the second engineering design meeting for the groundwater well and infrastructure. In the third week of July, the community will work to secure the formal issuance of the easement and land rights for all areas required for the project. Every step in July brings the well closer to a shovel in the ground.

Totoral Bajo (approx. 800 people) — ON TRACK

Patient Groundwork for a Community That Deserves to Be Designed Right

Totoral Bajo does not yet have a solution planned. What it has is something equally important: a community of leaders who show up, share information, and trust that VAVV will help them build something that lasts. Throughout June, those leaders continued providing detailed information about the demographics and geography of the community's six distinct sectors — the kind of granular, place-specific data that a future river-sourced water system absolutely depends on. VAVV also continued conversations with local volunteer engineers who may support the data collection process, deepening local investment from the very start.

This is the work that looks slow from the outside and is essential on the inside.

Looking ahead: Throughout July, community leaders will continue providing maps, population demographics, land rights information, and long-term community development plans. VAVV will guide more detailed data collection focused on water use demand and the river's actual capacity — the two variables that will ultimately define what this system looks like and how it is built. Also, VAVV will be conducting a formal information gathering field visit to the community during the upcoming Mission Trip.

A Word on La Merced Project — Temporary Pause

Some of our long-time supporters will notice that La Merced is not featured in this month's update. After sustained advocacy through the Regional Government of Piura, PECHP, the Ministry of Agriculture, and multiple community meetings, it has become clear that La Merced's project cannot move forward until the community's land rights situation is fully resolved — a process that is outside VAVV's direct control and that may take significant time.

VAVV has not abandoned La Merced. We remain in relationship with the community and will continue to support their navigation of this legal process. But in the meantime, we are called to be faithful stewards of the resources, relationships, and momentum entrusted to us — and that means directing our full energy toward the communities where a clear legal path forward exists and where sustainable change is within reach. Las Mercedes KM11 is weeks from construction. Las Mercedes is in active engineering design. Totoral Bajo is building its foundation. The mission is moving.

When La Merced's path becomes clear, VAVV will be ready.

Looking Ahead

June ends with something rare in this work: a concrete construction timeline. In a matter of weeks, a contractor will break ground in Las Mercedes KM11, community members will pick up shovels alongside VAVV missionaries, and years of planning, permitting, and perseverance will begin to become pipe, tank, and tap. This is what all of it is for. Please join us in prayer for our team of Missionaries going to Peru in July!

None of this happens without the people who believe in it. If you've been following these updates and feeling the pull to do more than read — to actually be part of this — you can get involved today on our website! Click the “Take Action” button at the top of our website to get started!

True Water. True Life. It is almost time.