More than six years ago, Julianne Page journeyed to El Progreso, Ecuador, on the first implementation trip for a drinking water distribution system project designed by the Portland Maine Professionals chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-PMP). This year, she and two other members of Woodard & Curran’s Portland office returned to finish the job and officially transfer ownership to the community.
Until recently, the small community of El Progreso did not have a potable water distribution system. Residents relied largely on a small number of public and private water sources, carrying heavy buckets of water back home from the center of town or a local spring. Over the last several years, the EWB-PMP project team has designed and overseen implementation of a centralized drinking water system to provide onsite water access to over fifty homes in the community. Furthermore, they worked closely with a newly established village water board responsible for construction management, payment collection, and operations and maintenance.
Because of travel challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, none of the volunteers were able to travel to the project location from 2020 until 2023. Now that the airways have opened up again, EWB volunteers from Woodard & Curran have returned several times to see the project through. A trip in January 2023 allowed the team, including Julianne and Kevin, to assess project status and regroup with the local NGO and water board. Three trips were planned for 2024: Julianne and Kevin traveled in January to support construction, Julianne returned with Olivia in June to close out the project, and Kevin will participate in a final visit in November for system monitoring.
Olivia, who has been volunteering with EWB for about two years, enjoyed seeing components of the project she had supported remotely brought to life in Ecuador on her first trip this summer. “So many trips made this project possible, but getting to see the end product of what we’ve been working on was awesome,” she explains. “We were able to see the completion of the branch of the distribution system that ends at the community center and that was a big moment. There was a really celebratory atmosphere.”
With the distribution system complete and operational, Olivia and Julianne attended two significant closeout meetings — one with the local water board and the other open to the full community. The water board is comprised of community members who have been elected to manage and maintain the system now that ownership has been transferred to the village. Business items for that group included discussion of how the water board will need to determine a fee structure, manage a maintenance schedule and budget, and determine how new users can connect to the system in the future.
The community meeting was less business and more celebration. “It was a full house,” says Julianne. “We had about 50 people crammed into a small room, and the floor was open to anyone who wanted to say something. We were able to offer some words about how excited we were to see the progress made and how grateful we were for all the community support and involvement, and we got to hear from community members about the positive impacts the system is already making.”
What’s next?
While the project team will wrap up work in El Progreso this year, EWB is an evergreen organization. The chapter hopes to select a new volunteer project to begin in 2025, with members committed to long-term responsibility for design and implementation. While chapter members donate their time and expertise to EWB, there are still many expenses associated with delivering projects that benefit communities around the globe.
To support the organization’s work locally and abroad, EWB-PMP hosts an annual fundraising event: Portland Uncorked! Tickets are already on sale for the 2024 fundraiser scheduled for October 17, hosted at the historic United States Custom House in the city’s Old Port neighborhood. Attendees can enjoy craft beer and wine tastings and hors d’oeuvres, and further support the chapter with a silent auction and raffle. Olivia is the group’s fundraising co-chair this year, and you can reach out to her about other ways to support the event, such as donating auction items.
Can’t make the party but want to get involved? EWB-PMP is always recruiting, and young professionals are urged to check it out. “The skills you learn and develop at work and those you learn in EWB design meetings don’t always overlap, but what you learn in each sphere can help the other,” explains Olivia. “So it’s not just the travelling and sense of community, but it’s also practical professional involvement, building your technical skills and meeting peers in similar or different industries around Portland.” The crew extends beyond civil engineering — current members of the Portland chapter include HVAC, aerospace, and traffic engineers, amongst others – even non-engineers. Anyone can find a way to help.
Visit the chapter’s website to learn more about projects, the national organization, and ways to support EWB-PMP.
