A miracle in the Pacific

Danilo Anton

In the 1990s, working as Programme Officer at IDRC (International Development Research Center) of Canada I had the opportunity to develop a project to provide potable water from clouds in Chungungo, near La Serena, Chile.
Chungungo is a fishing village that lacked potable water and was periodically supplied by a tanker truck that left many doubts about its potability. After several years of efforts and bureaucratic struggles, with the collaboration of Engineer Waldo Canto of CONAF and the scientific coordination of the researchers Pilar Cereceda at the Catholic University of Chile (UC) and Robert Schemenauer of Environment Canada (and funding from IDRC and the Canadian Embassy in Chile) we installed a system with 50 fog-catchers, an aqueduct from the mountain to Chungungo, a treatment plant and a distribution network of drinking water in the village. It was the first time in history that a water system using water from the clouds.was installed and used, Later similar systems were installed in Peru and the Canary Islands. When the system was inaugurated and the first faucet was turned on with much fanfare the community of Chungungo hung a sign that read:
"Thank you Canada for this miracle"