Andrew Sisson
Evaluation of Spring Flow, Bacterial Contamination, and Distribution of Fresh Water Resources in the Vicinity of Verrettes, Haiti
Together with geology professor Dr. Peter Wampler, I traveled to Verrettes, Haiti. Located 4 hours north of the capital city Port au Prince, we work in coordination with the NGO Faith in Action International to: 1) identify and locate springs in the Verrettes region of Haiti; 2) evaluate the amount of water flowing from each spring; 3) analyze water samples from each spring to determine the presence and quantity of coliform bacteria present in the water; and 4) create and maintain a database for all the springs in the area. The data we collected will allow us to inform the community of the quality of their drinking water so they can better manage and protect the fresh water available to them. We spent 17 days hiking in the limestone mountains of the region with a guide and translator who took surveys at each spring we visited to gain both data about the spring itself, as well as understand the number and health of the people who rely on each spring. At each spring, water samples were taken for our own culturing and a duplicate sample was sent to a local Hospital for a more accurate bacterial and chemical analysis.
Faculty Mentor: Peter Wampler
UPDATE:
Andrew presented at the National Ground Water Association's 5th Conference on Hydrogeology, Ecology, Monitoring, and Management of Groundwater in Karst Terrain in April, 2009 in Safety Harbor, FL.
Page last modified January 21, 2011
