Oscar and Edwin

Oscar and Edwin are the treatment plant operators at the Marcala Treatment Plant. The plant processes about 500 gallons per minute of potable water, enough to serve 7500 Americans or 30,000 Hondurans.


The plant must be manned continuously, so Oscar and Edwin work it out. One works from 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM, or 10 hours. The other works from 4:30 PM to 6:00 AM. They switch during the next week.


Edwin's home is a 45 minute walk down the mountain. When we met him, he was carrying a ten week old puppy that I would have taken back to Greenville. Oscar's home is 20 minutes up the mountain.

The City drops off chemicals at a point roughly 250 yards down the mountain. The chemicals are in canisters or bags that weigh more than 100 pounds each. Oscar and Edwin have to carry them up the mountain on their back. When I asked Fred if we could supply a dolly, he said no, he was going to buy them a horse. He just had not figured out how to pay for the feed.

They have a mattress on which they can rest, a radio and a TV. There are several underfed yard dogs for company

Like their American counterparts, Oscar and Edwin take pride in their work. The chemicals are manually fed, and must be continuously adjusted to accommodate changes in the levels of mud in the incoming water. The water must have residual chlorine to prevent water borne disease.

Unlike his American counterparts, I asked Oscar what he would change at the plant. He could not think of anything. His American counterparts would bend my ear for at least an hour.

Oscar and Edwin earn 46 cents per hour, but working 70 to 100 hours per week earns them a decent living.


I asked Oscar what he liked most about his job. He said that he liked learning new things. He wished there were more training opportunities.

Oscar displayed levels of professionalism far beyond his formal education. It shows that character is at least as important as degrees.