The recipients of the first NACE International Engineers Without Borders (EWB) grant have returned from their assessment trip to Tadazna, Nicaragua, where students from the City College of New York chapter (EWB-CCNY) (New York, New York) are working with local residents to develop a new water system for the community.
Currently, residents of Tadazna must trek long distances to collect water for drinking, bathing, and cooking. The EWB-CCNY chapter plans to build wells that will eliminate the danger of the fresh water becoming contaminated due to floating debris, animal feces, mud, and sediment.
The chapter’s project entails the construction of six groundwater wells located throughout the community. Each well is intended to support approximately one to five families. The design of the wells will allow for clean and safe water for daily use and consumption, decreasing the risk of contamination and disease.
Five members of EWB-CCNY comprised the travel team. On their assessment trip, the team conducted water analysis tests on all water sources in and around the community. They surveyed the land for an analysis of the geography of the community and mapped the locations of family homes, and they also conducted soil tests to determine where to build the wells.
In addition, the team interviewed community members to ensure that the project meets their needs and formed a local water committee to train residents on the maintenance of the wells. Construction of the wells will begin during a future trip.
"This trip is the first step in our five year partnership with Tadazna, which means that it's very important as a foundation for this relationship," says Rodrigo Ulloa, a senior studying mechanical engineering at CCNY.
In April, NACE held an online poll that allowed NACE members and the public to vote on which EWB teams to sponsor. EWB-CCNY came in second place, winning a $5,000 grant. This grant supplemented funds that the group had already raised through campus bake sales and a fundraiser. In addition, the community of Tadazna is contributing a minimum of 5% of the total project cost, as well as food and lodging for the EWB travel team.
The chapter also partnered with a nonprofit community development organization, Bridges to Community (Ossining, New York), for logistics and community relations. For technical advice, they worked with two private firms. Langan (Parsippany, New Jersey), an environmental consulting firm, advised the students on the well design and construction, while Louis Berger Group (Morristown, New Jersey)—a multidisciplinary global consulting firm—taught them about soil sampling and hydrogeology.
The group will spend the summer analyzing data, sorting through trip photos, and preparing for the next phase of their project—when they will again travel to Tadazna to construct the wells.
“Ever since I was younger, I knew I wanted to help people with the work I do,” says Andrea Iguina, an environmental science and Jewish studies major at CCNY. “My life goal is to make a change for the better and EWB-USA CCNY has helped me to continue in this journey.”
For more information, visit
www.nace.org/ewb