Pressures and Challenges in Use and Management of Water in Rural Schools Affected by Drought in Valparaíso, Chile

Over 1350 Chilean rural schools are experiencing a lack of potable water, and 40.4% of them lack formal access to drinking water and have to resort to various alternative sources of supply, with 43% relying on wells or waterwheels, 32% using water trucks, and 26% relying on rivers, springs, or streams. Due to the extreme situation, most inhabitants of affected rural areas count on different means of water recycling, mainly reused from irrigation, without control or management of water quality. For this study, Los Bellotos de la Vega Elementary, a rural school, became a case study as proposed by the Municipality of Olmué. The educational program focuses on crops and plantations based on rural agricultural practices, which are irrigated by a water recycling system. Through microbiological water analysis, olfactory air quality testing, surveys, and photovoice methods, we identified serious problems with the implementation and management of the water recycling system, including a lack of resources and maintenance, which could endanger the health of the members of the community. An analysis of the treatment plant’s water revealed that the recycled water did not meet quality standards, and the water supplied by water trucks was at the limits of the standards. It was also found that all the families related to the school children recycle water in their homes without any control over the quality of the water they reuse. However, a positive aspect revealed by this study is the elevated level of awareness about water conservation, habits of use, consumption, rationing, and reuse, as well as knowledge of appropriate vegetation, and they are already part of daily life.