Today 14 more families in Nacimiento are beneficiaries of the Water for Chile Challenge project
The Initiative promoted by CMPC and Desafío Levantemos Chile – which already has benefited more than 850 families in the Biobío and Araucanía Regions – has arrived in the Carrizal de Meñir area, providing drinking water access solutions.
After suffering from water scarcity and relying on tanker trucks, 14 families in the Carrizal de Meñir area of the Nacimiento district now have an improved quality of life thanks to a project that brings drinking water directly into their homes. The initiative is part of the Water for Chile Challenge project led by CMPC in conjunction with the Desafío Levantemos Chile Foundation.
“Water is very essential; without it you can’t survive. This has been very good for us. Oftentimes help does not arrive for people living in the countryside or we are simply forgotten, so we are very grateful for this project. It solves a very serious problem that we’ve had,” said Yessica Erices, a resident of the Carrizal de Meñir community.
To inaugurate and celebrate this significant water project in benefit of 14 families, native trees were planted in the surrounding ravine where a deep well was dug and the project’s solar panels were installed. Family members, representatives of CMPC, Desafío Levantemos Chile and the Municipality of Nacimiento helped plant the Quillay trees, assisted by a forestry work crew.
The Executive Director of Desafío Levantemos Chile Nicolás Birrell said, “It’s been almost three years since we started working on creating a definitive solution for hundreds of families in La Araucanía and Biobío who did not have access to this basic service before. We know that water has the power to change lives, and it provides development and work opportunities while creating community and growth. We will continue working together with CMPC in order to support more people every day.”
CMPC Deputy Manager of Corporate Affairs Felipe Alveal said, “Climate change and the lack of rainfall have posed new challenges to ensure that water is available and provided to those who don’t have it at hand. One of the aims of this initiative that we’ve pursued along with the Desafío Foundation is to improve the quality of life of those who’ve been living without water access for years. So far more than 800 families have benefited from our initiative, either with potable water or water for carrying out productive activities. We quickly execute thjese projects that are designed according to the needs of families themselves.”
The President of the Carrizal de Meñir Water Committee Betty Ávila recalled that they used to collect water from the watershed, and some families’ water supply came from tanker trucks. “Whenever the summer heat arrives, we don’t have any more water. That is why my neighbors and I are very grateful for this project because we will no longer have to go out and collect it. I’m grateful to everyone who made this possible because it’s impossible to live without water. We can’t do anything without it. I’m very pleased with this project that has brought water to our homes.”
The Mayor of Nacimiento Carlos Toloza expressed his thanks for the initiative. “We know that CMPC and the Desafío Levantemos Chile team have supported us, providing a solution to 14 families. It was everyone’s dream to finally have drinking water at home. We have had a number of years with little rainfall and many families got their water from tanker trucks. As of today, that is already part of the past for these families because they now have enough water for daily consumption in their own homes.”
Carrizal de Meñir
To complete the project in the Carrizal de Meñir area, 12 solar panels were installed to operate a pump that extracts deep well water. The water that is obtained with this system creates a 30 thousand liter pond situated at the most elevated point so that gravity is used to feed 14 tanks of 1,000 liters each installed on the beneficiary families’ properties.
