By Enrique Pineda


On June 14, 2025, CoCoDA and its partner in El Salvador, CRC, celebrated the official inauguration of the new solar-powered water pumping system in Apolinario Serrano, Suchitoto. This project highlights the fruits of the collaboration between CoCoDA and its partners, who work side by side to bring clean water to rural communities in El Salvador.

Official ribbon cutting at the inauguration of Apolinario Serrano’s solar-powered water system.
From left to right: Margot Perez, water system board member; Francisco Rivera, Santa Tecla Rotary Club; Deborah Payne, CoCoDA executive director; James Mulholland, CoCoDA executive director; Claudina Ramos, water system president; Edgardo Molina, CRC president; Elias, project engineer; Rene Luarca Maiti, CoCoDA solar engineer.

The project started in November 2023 with a proposal from CRC at the CoCoDA Sun and Water Conference. The proposal consisted of retrofitting the community water system to a solar-powered system, with the goal of reducing dependence on electric power.

The system now has 63 modern solar panels, each with a power of 660 W and a useful life of around 30 years. This will not only ensure the water supply to the communities, but the system will also save around 60% of electric power consumption, resulting in savings for the more than 500 families in the six beneficiary communities: Apolinario Serrano, El Líbano, El Chaguitón, El Trapiche, Papayán, San Francisco.

63 solar panels were installed in the Apolinario Serrano water system. (Drone picture of the system)

The Inauguration

The inauguration was attended by representatives of the beneficiary communities, the water system’s Board, the water system president, Claudina Ramos, the engineer in charge of the project, and representatives of the donor Rotary clubs. Also in attendance were CRC President Edgardo Molina, CoCoDA Executive Director Jim Mulholland, CoCoDA Executive Director Deborah Payne, and representatives of the CoCoDA Board of Directors.

CRC President, Edgardo Molina.
CoCoDA Executive Director, Deborah Payne.
Start of the Inauguration event.
CoCoDA Executive Director, Deborah Payne (left) and representative of Rotary Club of Northhampton, Ohio, Dean Thayer.
From left to right: Water system President, Claudina Ramos; CoCoDA Executive Director, Deborah Payne; CoCoDA Executive Director, Jim Mulholland; CoCoDA Board Member, Josh Walsman; CoCoDA Board Member, Kurt Patterson.

During the event, the importance of solar energy as a viable, innovative and environmentally friendly solution to address the challenges of water supply in rural communities was highlighted.

“It is an innovative project… with this we ensure that we will continue to provide water 24/7 to the communities. With the solar panels we will have direct savings, benefiting our entrepreneurs, businesses, the agricultural area, and thus providing a better quality of life for our families with access to clean water.”

President of the Apolinario Serrano water system, Claudina Ramos.

CoCoDA would like to highlight the support of the following people and organizations that made this project possible:

  • Rotary Club of Kent, Ohio — Carol Crimi, David and Janet Dix
  • Rotary Club of Northhampton, Ohio — Dean Thayer
  • Rotary Club of Santa Tecla, El Salvador — Francisco Rivera
  • Mountainview Maintenance – J.P. Huser
  • The Carroll Family Fund
  • Rotary Club of Indianapolis
  • Rotary Club of Akron
  • Medina Sunrise Rotary Club
  • Rotary Club of Lancaster, South Carolina
  • Bloomington North Rotary Club
  • Rotary Club of Northeast Indianapolis
  • Rotary Club of Hudson Valley
  • Friends of Lane and Marion – Minneapolis

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