An Exploration of Water Quality

For those who may not have already known, Elaine Wrenn, a Technology Coordinator from Echo Horizon School in Culver City, CA, was invited to join our group by Dr. Michael Searson, the professor from Kean University leading this trip, in order to complete water quality testing for students at Echo Horizon School while communicating abroad using Web 2.0 technology. Since I am currently attending Kean University to complete my certification in Secondary English, at first I was not extremely interested in the project. However, after overhearing about the first water collection experience in Lima, I became extremely interested and was happy to assist by providing photographic documentation of the water supplies collected. Santos, a friend of our tour guide in the Cuzco area, escorted Elaine, Diana (a fellow student), and myself in a taxi around Cuzco. I was horrified and intrigued by what I saw. All of the water supplies around the Cuzco area are completely littered with trash and canine feces. Dead animals, chemical bottles, and rubber tires or sneakers lie in the water while people and dogs rummage through the trash along the river banks. The stench emanating from the water and the trash is almost unbearable. It was amazing to me that Diana could put her hands in the water in order to collect samples while still maintaining her composure and sometimes even a smile on her face. At night, back at the hotel, the bar became Elaine and Diana's science lab while information, such as oxygen levels, could be collected and recorded for further testing and comparison by the students at Echo Horizon School when Elaine returns. The pictures below depict the conditions of the water supply. I have officially changed my mind about the cleanliness of the sites we have been visiting in Peru. For further information on Elaine's work, please visit her website.



The following is a video of the Urubamba River at the base of Machu Picchu.It was taken by Professor Marilyn White from Kean University. The video displays the immense power of the river during the rain season. The river becomes calmer once it reaches the Sacred Valley of the Inca.