The lives of more than 50 families living in Zapote, Puná Island, Ecuador, has changed for the better now that fresh water for drinking and other everyday activities is available free of charge, thanks to frozen shrimp producer Omarsa S.A. Until recently, their only option for a regular supply of potable water was to purchase it from tanker truck delivery operators.
Student’s watch as Omarsa’s general manager taps into Zapote’s new fresh water supply source near the local school.As part of a Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, Duran-headquartered Omarsa embraced a program to provide fresh water to the Zapote community, which is situated next to one of its shrimp farms on Puná Island. Residents lacked a drinking water system and did not have daily access to a source of fresh water.
The project involved construction of an elevated tank to serve as a reservoir fed by a groundwater distribution system connected to a well tapped 1.7 kilometers away from Zapote. Omarsa donated the materials and provided technical advice and supervision during the construction phase, while residents of the community provided labor to get the job done.
Omarsa has been engaged in the farming, processing and export of shrimp since 1977. Offering a full line of head-on, headless and value-added products, it ranks among Ecuador’s top three shrimp exporting companies.
