Members of the Greater Lansing Professional Partners Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) are on their way to Honduras to build a water distribution system for residents in San Carlos.
The engineering professionals are spending $50,000 on the three week trip. While they’re in San Carlos, they’ll create a 25,000 gallon concrete water tank for the community. The water tank is the first phase of what will be a multi-faceted project.
To complete the project, the engineers will have to install four kilometers of pipe and build a water treatment system. The entire project could take two years to complete.
The timetable "is really contingent on how quickly we can raise the money,” says Susan MacNeil with the Greater Lansing EWB.
MacNeil says more area engineering companies are focusing on volunteer-related engineering projects.
“A lot of students that graduate in engineering right now are asking—when they’re looking for jobs—they’re asking different companies what they’re doing to help people in developing companies,” she says.
Having an EWB chapter in Mid-Michigan is attractive to these students and could help keep Michigan engineering graduates in the area, she says.
“It’s definitely something students are talking about,” she says.
The Lansing EWB chapter started in 2006 and now has 20 members. MacNeil expects the chapter to continue to grow.
Source: Susan MacNeil, Greater Lansing EWB
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
Photo courtesy of EWB
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