The student chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at Missouri University of Science and Technology is heading to Nahualate, Guatemala, before the start of the fall semester to complete the installation of a water tower that will provide access to safe drinking water for more than 3000 people.

The students will arrive in Nahualate on Monday, Aug. 11, and return on Sunday, Aug. 17. The EWB team will monitor the quality of existing water distribution lines and assist with additional planning and digging a water distribution system for the village.

This implementation trip is part of a project that was started in 2008. The team has worked to design, construct and complete the tank system. The students will also install a chlorination system in the waterline.

“The community is looking forward to seeing us in person and have had their spirits high ever since the construction of the water tower,” says Marisa Zelip, the Nahualate team leader. “The team is very excited to be back in the community.”

On this trip, the team will be joined by two public health graduate students from the University of Missouri-Columbia, who will conduct a communitywide health survey. Dr. Mark Fitch, associate professor of environmental engineering at Missouri S&T, and two professional engineers, Roy Wall and Todd Williams, a 1995 civil engineering graduate from S&T, will also travel with the team.

The following Missouri S&T students will travel to Guatemala:

Tyler Bick, a graduate student in civil engineering from Rolla, Missouri

Aleksandr Chernoff, a sophomore in ceramic engineering from Glenelg, Maryland

Andrew Fino, a junior in mechanical engineering from Wilmington, Massachusetts

Jacob Fortin, a junior in chemical engineering from Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Josephine Gass, a sophomore in environmental engineering from Millstadt, Illinois

Mark Hogan, a junior in environmental engineering from Holts Summit, Missouri

Zachary    Kessel, a sophomore in mechanical engineering from St. Louis

Danielle Sheahan, a freshman in environmental engineering from Imperial, Missouri

Marisa Zelip, a senior in mechanical engineering from Belleville, Illinois.