Having worked in Panama from the late 1960s, Halcrow returned uninterruptedly in the late 1990s and works mainly in the water, maritime and transport business with an office in Panama city. In 2007 we undertook water and sewerage studies in rural areas as part of the national water and sewerage project for poor areas.
The £170,000 contract was part of a three pronged £25m project by the Panamanian government to improve water and sewerage coverage across the nation which also included strengthening sector policies and water and sewerage provision in urban areas.
We drew on our expertise in assessing water systems and improving local capacity. With support from anthropologists and environmentalists we worked closely with native and peasant communities to find solutions which followed local customs and environmental techniques. Many people in the project area had been spending three hours getting their water from the river or small upwelling water sources.
As a result of our work we were able to recommend communities that could enter the feasibility stage of the project. Around 140,000 people are set to benefit by gaining a water or sewer service.