The student chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at Missouri University of Science and Technology will travel to Puerto Pando, Bolivia, to continue its work to help provide access to safe drinking water for the local community.

The students will travel to the Amazonian jungle community on Nov. 16 and return Nov. 27. While there, EWB team members will work to implement a 200-foot-long pipeline suspension bridge and water distribution system. The EWB team will also survey the area around the community to prepare for the next phase of implementation — treatment of water from a local spring.

The student chapter has worked in the Puerto Pando region for the past year and a half. After this trip, the team hopes to have completed up to two-thirds of the overall project. The final water treatment components are expected to be implemented during a summer 2018 trip.

Hannah Myers in Bolivia during a past EWB trip. Photo submitted.

“The overall goal of our partnership with Puerto Pando is to design and implement a sustainable, potable water system that can serve the community for years to come,” says Hannah Myers, the Puerto Pando team lead and a senior in environmental engineering from Urbana, Missouri. “The team is very excited to travel and finally construct the improvements, and are very thankful to be spending Thanksgiving break helping others in need.”

Dr. Bill Gillis, assistant teaching professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at S&T, and David Hoffman, volunteer mentor in the civil, architectural and environmental engineering department, the will accompany the team to Bolivia. The design team’s advisor is Dr. Mark Fitch, associate professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at S&T. For more information about the team or its projects, visit ewb.mst.edu.

The following S&T students will travel to Bolivia as a part of the EWB team:

Ellie Alt, a senior in geological engineering from Wright City, Missouri

Kalie Buecker, a junior in civil engineering from St. Charles, Missouri

Mark Echele, a senior in civil engineering from St. Charles, Missouri

Elizabeth Gernander, a senior in nuclear engineering from Jefferson City, Missouri

Rebecca Johnson, a senior in environmental engineering from Winfield, Missouri

Sadie Kleman, a sophomore in chemical engineering from Rushville, Missouri

Megan Krueger, a sophomore in mechanical engineering and engineering management from Smithville, Missouri

Hannah Myers, a senior in environmental engineering from Urbana, Missouri

Sarah Smedley, a senior in civil and architectural engineering from Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Nathan Winderl, a junior in geological engineering from Manchester, Missouri.