Susan Wagoner
Staff Reporter
PRYOR —
A 2009 graduate of Pryor High School is planning a trip to Bolivia.
An engineering group at the University of Oklahoma plans to combat toxic water problems for one village due to excessive mining.
Kelsey Raus is studying chemical engineering and is a member of Engineers Without Borders – OU.
“I learned about this project that a graduate student began several years ago,” Raus said. The student, William Strosnider, traveled to Bolivia to conduct testing on a water source that
was caustic due to excessive
mining.
Strosnider tested the pH levels of the two tributary streams that feed Laguna Santa Catalina, a main water source for several commu-
nities. The pH levels he
discovered were astonishing.
“Laguna Santa Catalina is severely degraded by these pollution sources, having a pH of 3 and elevated concentrations of lead, arsenic and cadmium,” project directors wrote in a promotional cover letter.
“Drinking water usually has a pH level of 7.5,” Raus said, adding that the scale is 1 to 14. “Anything above (7) is alkaline and anything below is acidic. This particular area has been mined for five centuries,” she said. “Mining has left streams and lakes unable to sustain life.”
Raus said that even local farmers have broken large rocks to fall on the roads in an attempt to keep miners from accessing the mines because their crops and livestock cannot drink the water.
The Potosi-Bolivia Student Service Project partners
with the OU College of Engineering, the Center for the Restoration of Eco-
systems and Watersheds and the Rotary Club of Norman.
“Our mission is to perform the restoration of a damaged ecosystem with the help
of ecological engineering techniques,” she said.
The plan is simple. The team will construct limestone channels in the contaminated streams.
“The limestone will generate alkalinity and remove iron and aluminum naturally,” Raus said. The result will be easy for the locals to maintain.
Students have already raised $74,000 to purchase and deliver the limestone. Now the team is hoping to raise enough money for the team to travel to Bolivia and implement the plan. There are eight students, one graduate student and one faculty member on the team.
Raus, though she has just completed her freshman year, was invited to be a part of the team because of her dedication and assistance she has provided during the year.
“It’s pretty exciting as a freshman to have been asked. I think it’s important that the students involved in the planning and design be on hand to implement it,” she said. “As a student, you’re usually learning what other people have done. This is a great experience to see your designs and plans implemented to make a real difference.”
Raus is doing her
part to raise $2,500 for the team. The trip is scheduled for Aug. 2-16.
To help Kelsey and the Potosi-Bolivia team, contact her at (918) 855-4798 or Sofia Alegre, the project manager, at (405) 532-0095. Donations can be mailed to the University of Oklahoma, College of Engineering, Attn. Stacy Berglan, 202 W. Boyd St., Room 107, Norman, OK 73019-1024. Corporate donations are welcome.
