Quick Facts

WTW’s Amazonian Home Base: Leticia, Colombia

Population: 33,000

Access to Improved Sanitation:

Key Information: Although the Amazon region is abundant with water, it is very polluted and contaminated due to boat transportation and lack of improved sanitation. The area is in dire need of water access and filtration technologies.

WTW’s Impact: Over x amount of people have been reached with clean water.

Water Solutions Used: Well Drilling, Well Repair, and Rainwater Catchment

Background

Wine To Water’s Amazon project is based out of the city of Leticia. Leticia is the southernmost city in Colombia, and one of the major ports on the Amazon River. Its economy is driven by tourism and has long been one of Colombia’s shipping points. Leticia has approximately 33,000 inhabitants on the left bank of the Amazon River, and is located at the point where Colombia, Brazil and Peru come together in an area called Tres Fronteras.

Although Wine To Water’s Amazon team is based out of Leticia, its projects cover a vast area, sometimes taking more than 10 hours to reach by boat.

Although the Amazon provides communities along the Amazon River with access to water, the river water is contaminated. This region of the world has extremely high rates of water-borne illnesses, pollution, and the people often experience large-scale flooding events. The combination of these factors makes the abundant amounts of water un-drinkable, often resulting in high child mortality rates.

Wine to Water’s Impact

In 2013, Wine To Water started work in the Amazon to provide clean water access and filtration technologies for indigenous populations living along the Amazon River. In order to implement effective water strategies in the Amazon, Wine To Water uses a portable drill rig that can be transported by canoe.

Drilling new wells, repairing existing wells, and rainwater catchment systems are Wine To Water’s main focus. Our ground team also spends time with community members to construct elevated well platforms that protect water access sites from flooding zones. Thousands of people in communities along the Amazon River are benefitting from these projects.