Mussels, toads, and cockroaches

  These are what we found in our cement water tank. All I have to say is I am thankful to have boys who don't mind any of them. If I was in there I would have been making all kinds of yips at any sign of movement.

Living in Peru has changed my idea of some things this includes what is my idea of clean water. Buenos Aires has been working on a water project since we arrived here in September. The goal of the project is to make running water available to every home. This meant that any water service the town had been receiving was cancelled.

 It was our understanding the town pumped water to the homes once a day for three hours. The water was pumped directly from the Huallaga River. The river is brown and at times it smells worse than others.

Since the water service was cancelled we have been paying men to bring barrels of water from the river to our house. They fill our bottom tank with the river water. We add bleach and let the water sit a day before pumping it to the top to let it settle.

In anticipation for a trial run of the new water system Taylor and the boys decided to clean out our bottom tank. Taylor was too tall for the job so the boys joyfully climbed in the tank. Taylor lowered a bucket tied to a rope down and the boys

filled the bucket with the remaining water but also the thick layer of sticky mud that was on the bottom. The boys scooped up the mud with cups and their hands. When they finished with the mud they mopped up the rest of the bottom with bleach and rain water. We use rain water because it really is our only source of "clean" water beside our drinking water.

When it was all said and done they bottom was more visible and a little less brown. All of them were proud of their hard work and went down to river to wash off the mud before taking a shower.

The town turned on the water system for a trial run. We all anxiously waited by the tank to see if the town pipes were properly installed. Then the water started pouring in. Brown, dirty water. We all just laughed. The water system is in place but the filtering system is not connected yet. That should be installed over the next few months. There is talk that the water will be potable when it passes through the filtration system. When it is time for the clean water to come in we will have to clean out the bottom tank again. At least it shouldn't be as dirty. Hopefully the boys won't find mussels, toads and cockroaches again.