Water supply for Los Flamencos Sanctuary in Colombia | SPECTRA LB-4000 improves community drinking water

In the Los Flamencos Fauna and Flora Sanctuary in La Guajira, Colombia, local indigenous residents had to transport drinking water from outside at a high cost after their existing wells were contaminated with salt.

SPECTRA partner Trunz, in collaboration with the National Parks Unit, planned and installed two solar-powered LB-4000 units, utilizing existing wells to re-establish a freshwater supply for the community.

Water supply environment for Los Flamencos Wildlife Sanctuary and community in Colombia

Original Case Information

Case NameColombia Wildlife Sanctuary Installs Watermaker for Local Populations
LocationLos Flamencos Wildlife Sanctuary, La Guajira, Colombia
Collaborating UnitsTrunz × National Park services
Equipment2 × SPECTRA LB-4000
EnergySolar array
Raw Water ProblemExisting wells contaminated with salt

Transporting water can provide emergency relief, but it is difficult to be a long-term supply.

After the wells became saline, residents of the sanctuary had to rely on water trucks or other transportation methods to obtain clean water. This method incurs ongoing transportation costs and is susceptible to disruptions from roads, vehicles, fuel, and weather conditions.

After evaluation by Peter Wochele of Trunz and the National Parks Unit, they decided to treat the well water on-site, ensuring water supply capacity remained within the community, rather than continuously bringing in drinking water from outside.

Two solar SPECTRA LB-4000 units improve drinking water for the Los Flamencos community

Two Solar Watermaking Systems Support Sanctuary Residents

The project installed two SPECTRA LB-4000 units to treat saline well water, powered by solar arrays. Case data indicates that the system can supply the water needs of residents living within the sanctuary.

This setup addresses two limitations simultaneously: the inability to drink the water directly and the difficulty of obtaining electricity and fuel locally. For remote communities, integrating water sources, energy, and maintenance in this way is a more sustainable long-term solution than simply increasing water transport frequencies.

KATADYN Taiwan's understanding of the case: When existing well water is affected by salinity, the water supply problem does not necessarily mean there is no water, but rather a lack of suitable on-site treatment capacity. With the combination of reverse osmosis and renewable energy, water sources that were previously unfit for drinking can re-enter the supply system.

Sources

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