The Rural Water Programme, run by our Copper business in Chile, won the Social Responsibility and Digital Inclusion category in the country’s ACTI (Chilean Association of Information Technology Companies) Tech Awards 2021.
Chile has been affected by severe drought for the last decade. And, in rural areas, almost two million people rely on rural drinking water systems (APR - Agua Potable Rural), most of which do not have the necessary infrastructure or technology to manage the supply efficiently.
Gonzalo Jaramillo, director of Anglo American’s Rural Water Programme, and his team have been developing innovative solutions so they can help to ensure a sustainable water supply for the communities around our sites in the country.
They have been working with the communities, local authorities, and an innovative software firm WeTechs to boost potable water supply with the aid of technology.
By collaborating with an innovative software company to develop a sensor-based technology that monitors and automates water levels of rural water systems, the team has ensured that, so far, more than 95% of people in the Chacabuco province now have continuous access to clean water, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
So far, the team have implemented the Rural Water Programme in 62 rural drinking water systems in four provinces in the Metropolitan Region and the Region of Valparaiso, including Chacabuco, Los Andes, Quillota, and San Felipe.
The Programme has benefitted more than 100,000 people via energy savings, a reduction in the number of leaks in main pipes, and an improvement in water retention in water ponds or reservoirs, down from an average of five pond drains per month per APR to 0.9 drains per month per APR. All of this means increased availability of water fit for human consumption.
