The student chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at Missouri University of Science and Technology will travel to Nahualate, Guatemala, to continue its work to help provide access to safe drinking water for the community of approximately 3,000 people.

The students will be in Guatemala Saturday, Jan. 16, through Monday, Jan. 18. While there, the EWB team members will work to fully implement a water distribution system.

This trip is part of a project that the team has been working on since 2008. The project is now over half-way complete. The team has previously worked to design, construct and complete an elevated storage tank and to design a chlorination system. Students on past trips have also installed water meters, pressure valves and various distribution lines.

Due to time and schedule restrictions, the team will focus this trip on building community relations. Team representatives will meet with the Nahualate Water Committee to talk about sustainability plans for the operations of the system, which could be fully operational by early 2017. The team members will also meet with a local contractor to discuss and finalize the installation of a well pump.

Matthew Baer, a junior in ceramic engineering from Harrisonville, Missouri, and Michael Steingraeber, a sophomore in petroleum engineering from St. Charles, Missouri, will represent Missouri S&T’s EWB team on the trip. Dr. Ronaldo Luna, an adjunct professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at Missouri S&T, will be the trip’s advisor.