International

Bolivia

The community in Barrio San Cristobal, Bolivia has struggled with access to reliable drinking water and sanitation services, namely during the dry season when sources such as rainwater become inadequate.

Prior to the construction of the a new water distribution system, most of the 300-person community was dependent on an old deep well or buying water from private providers in trucks or rainwater harvesting, which, again, become scarce during the dry season. Families are then forced to ration supplies due to this unreliable access, highlighting the severity of the issue in the community. The lack of basic sanitation services exacerbates concerns of water scarcity and quality.

The need for improved access to water and sanitation services was identified after our Spring 2025 Site Assessment Trip, when we met with 70+ households, to understand the community’s main priorities. Residents of the community and water committee leaders have been working with the government to finalize new water infrastructure plans, and they continue to work towards external sources of assistance. Through EWB-USA and FIEA Bolivia, we aim to support the region in addressing its water & health crisis.

The overall objective of the project is to build a sanitary sewer system that would mitigate wastewater, and ensure safe, sustainable, and accessible water access for the people of Barrio San Cristobal. These objectives will be met in phases, including the Phase 1 Implementation Trip that will take place in Summer 2026. The goal of this trip will be to construct the sanitary piping networks and septic tanks, and provide the engineering services to meet the community’s infrastructure needs. Based on the outcome of the trip, the team will return to Bolivia, and complete the phased implementation and collaboration with the community.

Tanzania

Since the conception of our project in 2018, our team had been working to design and implement a solar powered irrigation system in Sunuka, Tanzania. Sunuka was unable to increase their agricultural output due to the limitations of the dry season. However our team's design allowed for increased water access and consequently increase crop yield.

Since February 2018, we have traveled on two assessment trips to establish our relationship with the Sunuka community and retrieve the necessary irrigation data. Keeping in mind social, structural and economic feasibility, our team evaluated potential water sources and irrigation distribution techniques, and worked to finalize system plans.

In 2024, we completed this project, consisting of locating and coordinating with a contractor to finish the tap stands along the irrigation piping.