BergerWorld: 4th Quarter 2004

La Palma, the capital of Darien Province, is located in the Darien Gap, one of the largest and most unspoiled rainforest areas in Latin America. In order to supply the city with potable water, Panama's nationwide water supplier selected the Berger Group, in association with Delca Consultores and Hazen and Sawyer, to prepare feasibility studies and designs for a modern water supply system.

Before the project began, the city lacked the capacity to provide water 24 hours a day, resulting in rationing. In the hot, dry summer months, these problems were exacerbated when several existing wells dried up. To reduce the town's dependence on shallow wells, Berger experts identified and evaluated alternative water sources in the surrounding region. Surprisingly, despite the richness of the Darien forest, the Team was challenged by the shortage of nearby surface water sources and had to explore innovative alternatives, including desalinizing water from the Darien Bay and pumping and treating water from the Mogue River, located 20 kilometers away in a dense jungle. The Team overcame a number of logistical challenges, including the lack of access to surrounding areas, by using air and sea transport to conduct essential geological and geophysical studies. After analyzing several options, the Team suggested using two new well fields to extract water from non-brackish aquifers as the most cost effective and viable source of fresh water. Once the feasibility studies were completed, Berger prepared final designs for the treatment facility and a new storage tank, ensuring that La Palma's residents have 24 hour, year-round access to safe drinking water.

The Berger Group also worked in Panama to institute improved nationwide water quality programs. In 1995, the Health Ministry launched the United Nations-funded Rural Health Project to reduce malnutrition and provide improved potable water and sewerage systems to many of the country's poorest citizens. This program was later reformulated as the Basic Health Program. To ensure the program met its goals, the Health Ministry selected Berger to evaluate the program, coordinate the efforts of local municipalities and international relief agencies and ensure that the neediest citizens had access to potable water. Team members traveled to more than 160 remote villages, collected detailed information on water availability, quality, health standards and alternative supply sources and surveyed local residents on the impact of the improved water systems. Berger then reviewed overall national needs, analyzed the water supply components of the Rural Health Project and Basic Health Program and evaluated its impact on water accessibility and quality. These surveys established a statistical baseline to refine the Basic Health Program and set practical targets for the national program.

Berger also conducted workshops with local water system administrators to assess the impacts of the Basic Health Program on the quality and sustainability of the water services and to evaluate the effectiveness of different implementation and funding strategies.