In the summer of 2012, all four teams had the opportunity to travel to their respective communities halfway around the world. Throughout the previous school year each team had focused on their community and prepared for the upcoming summer trip. Since each community had different needs, the summer trips varied from team to team.

Tacachia, Bolivia:

During the July 2012 trip, the team worked on a number of projects. The distribution team worked with the community to finish installing the water distribution system and fix any broken parts of the system. Also, the team assessed new potential water sources near the community of Tacachia, which consisted of a spring, a well, or a river. As part of this assessment the team completed some water treatment tests to see how they could improve drinking water quality. The ram pump team worked with community members to test and fix any problems to the previously installed ram pumps. The latrines team collected preliminary information on the future location and implementation of the latrines. The team worked with our in-country partner Engineers in Action (EIA) to implement an erosion control solution, consisting of digging a new path for the river to flow through and using this excavated dirt to armor the riverbanks. This solution will provide protection for the community’s farmland because the river is a cause of a large loss of farmland due to floods and mudflows each year. These improvements directly affect the members of the community and have an indirect positive impact on surrounding communities.

Los Eucaliptos, Bolivia (formerly known as Erquis Sud):

In May 2012, the team traveled to Bolivia with 14 students, 1 faculty member, and 1 professional mentor to build two projects and assess one project. The team added on to the existing erosion control system. One gabion spur, consisting of 2x1x1 meter mesh baskets filled with large rocks, was extended downstream to prevent erosion of the community’s land. 200 feet of steel water pipe were added between the location of the well, and the water tank was installed. The surface water control, or flooding, team held meetings with the community and other stakeholders to approve the location of the proposed flooding channels, which are designed to prevent the existing flooding within the community. In addition, negotiations were held with two separate well drilling companies.

Santiago, Honduras:

The Honduras team completed a host of projects during the 2012 implementation trip. The team hired a contractor to drill a well to increase water supply to the community. By the time the team left Honduras, the well was near completion. A contractor was also hired to build an elevated well house, which was designed by the team. In addition, the team received a fully up-to-date map of Santiago and was able to map out the entire community’s water distribution system. With the new map, the team worked alongside the community to conduct a leak study on a third of the system. They pinpointed leaks and measured the associated water loss. Lastly, the team constructed a water level indicator for the community’s storage tank. Before this tool, the water level could only be determined by climbing onto the tank and looking inside. Now anyone can easily read the water level, even from a distance.

Nahualate, Guatemala:

In August of 2012, a team of 8 students, 1 faculty advisor, and 1 professional mentor returned to Nahualate, Guatemala, on a technical assessment and implementation trip. During this implementation trip, the team moved the location of the well to allow easier access for the large drilling machinery. The drilling began as of August 8th, and the well is projected to be finished by November of 2012. The community’s water committee also met with the team to discuss areas where pipes were needed and started installing some of the piping. They also discussed the progress of the project and further plans for the future.