Engineers Without Borders

Now that members of the Colorado Springs EWB Chapter have returned from our assessment trip in Suncallo, Bolivia, we clearly understand why their current drinking water supply is unreliable. And fortunately we believe we can design a clean water delivery system that is going to be relatively easy to implement and maintain. We’re actively working on those design issues right now.

However, before we can implement the system and relieve the suffering, we need to raise some more money:
• We have received strong support from the Rotary Club in La Paz and are trying to partner with a Rotary Club in Colorado Springs.
• We have received corporate grants from CH2MHill, Conoco, and ITT.
• We have received a number of individual donations.
• We have received a grant from the Goldman Foundation and are applying for additional grants through our parent organization.
• We are applying for a USAID grant that is specifically for development work in Bolivia.
• We are planning several fundraising events including an Engineers Oktoberfest with support from the local micro-breweries.

Even though the organization is called Engineers Without Borders, our real need at the moment is for a person or two with expertise in PR and fundraising!!! If you have these skills and an interest in helping a very deserving Aymara community (their culture pre-dates the Incas!) please contact us or come to a meeting.

The Bolivia project team has been making good progress on identifying solutions for the Suncallo drinking water system improvements. During the last trip the team met with the community and negotiated a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) detailing the priorities for work and responsibilities. The picture at right shows this event in progress. This is a great success as we now have an agreed upon path to proceed on.

The agreed upon priorities are: (yes, there are two number one priorities)
1. Repair the leaking pipe at the ravine crossing between Springs #1 and #2.
1. Develop Spring #3 with a new intake and connect Spring #3 to Spring #2.
2. Construct a water storage tank in community.
3. Develop Spring #4 and join it to the pipeline from Spring #3.
4. Provide water taps for those houses without them.
5. Change the size of the mainline pending results of the evaluation.

We have assigned task leads to the first three and begun to look at design alternatives. The task lead develops several alternative solutions and then creates a multi-criteria decision analysis matrix which is presented to the project team. Peer review provides an opportunity for discussion and the criteria are weighted for importance and the various alternatives ranked until we have decided on the best solution.

The results of the decision analysis are then used to prepare the Form 523 Alternatives Analysis which must be submitted to EWB-USA for approval.

Our chapter traveled to Suncallo, Bolivia on April 10, 2010 to conduct a Phase 2 assessment of the communities’ needs and gather enough information to begin the design. The team consisted of Lisa Barbato, John Marcotte and Pete Eisele. The group was assisted by a local engineering consultant, Engineers In Action (EIA) who met us in La Paz and escorted us to the village the next day.

After a four hour drive we were received by the community with a great welcoming party. Their appreciation of our arrival was evident, as was their hope that we would meet their expectations. The friendliness of everyone was prevalent throughout the week, and those assigned to work with us were very helpful. The community has an existing water supply from two springs, but as we discovered, some residents do not have water taps and for many others, their taps run dry during the dry season.

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Click here to read the Phase 1 Suncallo Assessment Report, June 2009
Click here to read the Phase 2 Suncallo Assessment Report, April 2010

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Some of the things the group accomplished during the visit were:
• Completing a survey of a future pipeline from Spring #3 to Spring #2
• Measuring flows at Springs #3 
• Improving the intake structure of Spring #2
• Determining the suitability and location for a water tank
• Obtaining data for the replacement of a leaking pipe crossing a ravine
• Completing a residential survey which included condition of individual water supplies, basic living needs and health issues
• Understanding the construction access issues which will impact design

At the completion of our work we executed a mutually acceptable written agreement which commits each party to conditions necessary for a successful project. We hope to begin the first of several new facilities later this year.