A brief history of Engineers Without Borders Northeastern University

The Northeastern chapter of EWB was officially formed in December of 2004. In the fall of 2004, NEU sent two students to the national conference in Denver, Colorado to obtain more information about the organization. After three days of enthusiastic project presentations, the two students returned with a determination to start the NEU chapter.

Beginning in the fall semester of 2004, EWB-NEU flourished. After officially becoming a chapter, the group worked to acquire both local and global service projects. The group was approved to work with Yale University on a project in El Rosario, Honduras.

A non-profit US based group, Americans Caring, Teaching, and Sharing (ACTS), has been working with El Rosario and several small villages in the surrounding area to improve their general quality of life for the past 20 years. In the spring of 2005, after realizing the need for some engineering expertise, ACTS submitted an application to EWB-USA for assistance in the construction of water supply and delivery systems, rural electrification projects, and several other engineering applications. The primary concern in all of the villages is a lack of clean water.

EWB-NEU received approval to go on a site assessment trip to El Tecuan, one of the smaller villages in the El Rosario area. El Tecuan is a small village of approximately 300 people. The water board of the village had submitted a proposal for repair and possible replacement of their current water distribution system.

Working with El Tecuan

In August 2005 two students and their professional mentor traveled to El Tecuan with a representative from ACTS as well as another EWB group working in the area. The team conducted a full assessment of the situation in the village. This assessment found there was unreliable service on the east-line of the village's water distribution system and the pressure here was also inadequate.The team returned with enough data to begin considering solutions for the problem.

During that school year the students in EWB considered multiple options for improving the water service in El Tecuan. After much consideration the group decided the best option would be to replace a section of the main distribution line with a larger diameter pipe.

A team of 5 students and their professional mentor returned to Tecuan the following April to work with the villagers to install 1200' of new 2 in pipe to replace the aging and clogged 1-1/2in pipe already in place. After working through some clogs in the system the the team finally saw running water with improved pressure by the end of their trip.

The trip in April 2006 was also used as an assessment of the situation in the neighboring village of El Tecuan. To read more about this project please click here