Mobilize AguaClara

AguaClara is a multidisciplinary engineering team based at Cornell University that develops sustainable water treatment technology. The AguaClara plant design is gravity-powered, electricity-free, and scalable to fit the needs and size of any community. Our governance model is based on community ownership, democratic governance, and technology that is specifically designed for ease of operation and to encourage pride in ownership.

AguaClara facilities on the ground in Honduras are owned and operated by their respective communities and all facilities continue to provide safe drinking water. This is particularly noteworthy in Honduras where most conventional water treatment plants do not reliably meet drinking water standards. Several towns with AguaClara facilities are experiencing reverse migration from Tegucigalpa due to their superior water.

Our Design Philosophy

The AguaClara design philosophy is a set of principles developed to ensure the long-run sustainability of the facilities we engineer. It is based on the belief, as expressed by Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom, that "combining knowledge of local circumstances with modern science and technology is a crucial prerequisite for developing more efficient, sustainable infrastructure." Our design aims at optimizing the level at which water is treated while also minimizing cost and ensuring that our plants are operator-friendly. Despite functioning on the same basic process, there are major differences in design between what is effective in the developed world and what is feasible in the Global South. Almost all of the plants in the developed world rely on large amounts of electricity to monitor and operate. However, in the developing world, access to a reliable source of electricity is both doubtful and prohibitively expensive. AguaClara plants use gravity instead of pumps, and mechanical devices instead of electrical monitors, to run the plant. Since the plants are designed to be constructed using almost exclusively locally-available materials and labor, AguaClara communities also avoid the risks of failure or shut-down that plague other projects dependent upon overseas expertise and supplies.

Our Education Philosophy

The AguaClara program provides undergraduate & graduate students the opportunity to enhance their education with hands-on experience working on projects with real life applications. In 2012, the National Academy of Engineering recognized AguaClara as an exemplary program that "infuses real world experience into engineering education."

Our Fundraising Goal

In line with both our educational and design philosophies, AguaClara team members have taken part in service learning trips down to Honduras each winter since our founding in 2005. Over the course of this two-week excursion, students get the chance to see their research and designs come to fruition

By meeting with on the ground plant operators, engineers, and community members, AguaClara students get a firsthand view of the real impacts of their work at Cornell. When students return to campus, they get the chance to share these gained insights with our research teams who then use them to construct their goals for the following year.

However, travel costs are steep, so we hope to gain as much funding as possible to make this trip a reality for all team members hoping to travel down to Honduras this year. By contributing to our cause, you are helping to fund the airfare, meals, guides, on-the-ground travel, accommodations, and all other associated costs that contribute to the success of our trip.

We are reaching out to you to become partners in our vision for clean water access for all! As alumni, friends, and newcomers to the AguaClara program, we hope that you will champion our cause and help us expand our horizons.

Thank you for your support!

For more information on the AguaClara program, visit us online at aguaclara.cornell.edu.